This is the 5741st most frequent Chinese word.
可怜
Pitiful; pathetic; pitiable.
In this sentence, '可怜' is used to express sympathy and pity toward the state of the small animals not having a home.
这些小动物很可怜，因为它们没有家。
These small animals are pitiful because they have no home.
Here, '可怜' conveys a sense of misfortune about the person's difficult living conditions.
她在街头乞讨，生活十分可怜。
She begs on the street, her life is very pitiful.
In this usage, '可怜' is employed within a negative construction to argue against feeling pity for someone's situation.