Let's blur the lines a little -- rabbits are sentient, dolphins & gorillas are sapient. Therianthropes are humanoid bipeds with some animalistic traits. I would not want to be a short-lived rabbit at the bottom of the food chain; a lagomorph therianthrope? Maybe, if lifespan & intelligence are equivalent (or better!) compared to Homo Sapiens Sapiens.
If your goal in life is to have fun & enjoy family life, sentience is sufficient. If you want any kind of civilization, you need sapience and opposable thumbs -- while elephants are capable of painting, they don't do it well!