I think how we treat animals and all other forms of intelligence on our own little earth says a lot of our openness (and creating the tools for understanding/receiving) to alien civilizations. A few decades ago it was fiercely debated in scientific communities if animals have intelligence/emotions/feelings and so on. I think if we learn to understand animal (but also fungal and other forms of) intelligence we learn a lot more about our own intelligence and would be far more competent in creating new tools.