People are fine, but have you met pets? They’re basically like people but better in every way. Because it’s a fact that animals are undeniably amazing and people, well, aren’t. So it’s no surprise that some of our favorite movie characters are pets! From the standard cats and dogs to the undeniably wild, there is no limit to the love we have for the creatures in the features that we watch!
While most of these amazing movie pets have owners, we’d totally be willing to adopt them if something were to change. That’s how great these critters are. Because if there’s anything that these movie pets prove, it’s that animals have just as much personality as people. Whether they’re on screen or right in your living room with you, pets are incredibly dynamic and charismatic. Which is why we love them so much! Here are our very fave movie pets of all time!
17. Toto from The Wizard of Oz
Talk about a loyal dog! Toto sticks with Dorthy (Judy Garland) as they’re both swept up by a tornado and left to their own devices in Oz. He tries his best to keep her from harm, using the big bark in his small body to warn her of trouble. He’s also a great judge of character. He bites Elmira Gulch (Margaret Hamilton) because he could tell she was a total witch and pulls back the curtain that reveals the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan) is a total fraud. And he’s super cute! Toto always adorably had Dorthy’s back and that makes us wonder why men are compared to dogs. Dogs are so much better.
16. Gizmo from Gremlins
Hear me out on this one! The gremlins are actually pretty adorable until you feed them after midnight! When a young boy is gifted Gizmo, the OG mogwai, he promises to care for him perfectly and follow all the rules. Well, soon a glass of water is spilled on him (a big no-no) and more gremlin monsters spawn from him, each more mischevious than the last. While the other gremlins, led by the aggressive Stripe, cause trouble and even kill people (?!) Gizmo remains loyal and adorable. He even helps his human stop the evil little monsters running loose! Just, you know, don’t feed him after midnight and he’ll probably stay that way!
15. Dug from Up
Up is a pull-at-your-heartstrings kind of movie through and through. And part of your heart is definitely going to burst because of dopey, adorable Dug (Bob Peterson). The golden retriever is able to talk because of a collar device. He’s a silly, misfit of a dog among the aggressive pack he strayed from and is so lovable. One of his best quotes from the movie is, “I was hiding under your porch because I love you!” Aw! He’s so sweet and fun-loving, and always down for a good adventure!
14. Garfield from Garfield: The Movie
Garfield (Bill Murray) is so awesome because he’s so damn relatable. Lazy and free-spirited? Yup. Hates Mondays? Oh, yeah. Loves lasagna? Of course! He just gets us. So, obviously, we want to take him home with us! The overweight orange cat antagonizes his owner, but truly loves him and the life he provides. He’s also super territorial of his life with his owner, but after some cajoling is open to new pet friends. Overall, he’s the sassiest movie pet of all time and we live for it.
13. Stich from Lilo and Stitch
Stitch (Chris Sanders) isn’t like a normal pet. He’s not even fully a pet, really, considering he’s an intergalactic creature. But he’s pretty perfect all the same. While he’s programmed to cause chaos and destruction wherever he goes, it’s pretty cute how mischevious he is! And he gives up his pre-programmed mission to basically eff stuff up because he loves Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and his ohana so much! Our hearts. When the love of your owner literally overcomes your very nature, you know you’ve got a keeper!
12. Hooch from Turner and Hooch
Find yourself a dog who will fight crime with you! Cop Scott Turner (Tom Hanks) unwillingly adopts Hooch (Beasley the Dog) and at first doesn’t like the rowdy, destructive pup much… until it becomes clear that he can be an asset to Turner’s police career. Hooch helps find killers, restrain bad guys, and is a great companion to his new owner. And *spoiler alert* Hooch even dies for his owner and the fight for what’s right! There is truly no loyalty like dogs’ for an owner!
11. Chance, Shadow, and Sassy from Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
Chance (Michael J. Fox), Shadow (Don Ameche), and Sassy (Sally Field) are three pets living under the same roof and sorta, kinda getting along. Chance is a dog with little interest in his family and a whole lot of crazy in him. Shadow is a dog that loves his owner and family and would do anything for them. And Sassy is a cat who is, well, sassy! When they’re separated from their family, they travel across the country to get back to their loved ones, bonding along the way. Finding pets that loyal is incredible and we’d take all three home with us!
10. Marley from Marley & Me
Sometimes the worst dog is actually the best dog. Marley is not well behaved. He causes trouble everywhere he goes, doesn’t take kindly to any kind of training, and basically just does things how he wants when he wants. His misadventures even give his owner plenty of material to use for a weekly column in the paper about Marley’s crazy antics! But, as crazy as Marley can be, he also has a personality for days. And that’s one of the best parts of having a dog! He stays loyal to his family for his entire life, loving them and making them laugh until his time with them comes to an end. And that’s all anyone can ask for in a pet.
9. Abu from Aladdin
Abu (Frank Welker) is no ordinary pet. Mostly because he’s a monkey! But you know how they say pets and their owners start to resemble each other after a while? That is so the case here. Abu and Aladdin (Scott Weinger) are two peas in a pod. They scavenge together, steal together (Abu is a bit of a kleptomaniac!), and help each other survive the mean streets of Agrabah. He sticks by Aladdin’s side no matter what, and despite being a totally unconventional pet, he’s ride-or-die for his street urchin owner. Plus, he wears a little hat and vest and it just doesn’t get much cuter!
8. Baxter from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
Baxter is no ordinary dog, he has some crazy skills! He can speak Spanish, eat entire wheels of cheese, and survive being kicked off a bridge. Impressive, right? As the dog to Ron Burgandy (Will Ferrell), he has to be used to a fast-paced, crazy lifestyle and Baxter adapts in stride. He’s a party dog, through and through! He’s definitely loyal to Ron, though, and saves him from a bear attack. Who knew dogs and bears spoke the same language?!
7. Bailey from A Dog’s Purpose
Real talk: this movie will make you bawl your eyes out. Mostly because of the love Bailey (Josh Gad) has for his owner. He’s born and reborn as different dogs throughout his existence, but his time as Bailey is the most important of his life. He cares for his owner from his preteen years to adulthood and finding a love that unconditional is so rare. Years and years later, Bailey is a new dog in a new dog body but somehow finds his way back to his previous owner who recognizes Bailey’s spirit in the new dog. It’s heartwrenching and shows just how important the relationship between owner and pet really is! We would give anything for a dog like Bailey!
6. Fat Louie from The Princess Diaries
Fat Louie is literally just a fat, sassy cat which is the ideal 20-something girl’s pet tbh. Oh, and he’s royalty once his owner Mia (Anne Hathaway) finds out she’s a princess. It totally makes us want to sign up to be the royal pet caretaker. I mean, he wears a tiara at one point! He is just asking to be smothered with kisses and hugs. You think Mia would send the royal guard to arrest us if we catnapped cutie Louie?! (JK, we would never steal another person’s animal. That’s just cruel!)
5. Babe from Babe
This is for sure an outside-of-the-box pet. Babe (Christine Cavanaugh) is an orphaned piglet who is adopted and raised on a farm with all kinds of different animals. She has aspirations, too, aside from just being a farm pig. She wants to be… a sheepdog? Sure, why not! Babe has her eyes set on adventure and new experiences and is adorable as heck along the way. Sure, she’s way cleaner than a real pig would be, but we’re going to ignore that and pretend we can keep her in our one-bedroom apartment!
4. Pikachu from Pokémon: The First Movie
Pikachu (Ikue Ōtani) is the most recognizable Pokémon that there is. After decades of TV series, movies, card games, and phone games, there is no doubt that Pikachu is the most beloved character in the massive sprawling Pokémon universe. While he’s quite rambunctious, he’s also faithful to a fault. He’ll go up against anyone — even Pokémon’s that are much stronger than him — if it means protecting his owner. Pikachu is fearless, confident, and infinitely surprising – not only to his owner but to all of us!
3. Max from The Secret Life of Pets
First off, The Secret Life of Pets is a perfect movie. It gives a glimpse into what pets do all day when their owners are gone and tbh we hope our pets are this social when we’re not home! Max (Louie C.K.) is a pup that socializes with his pet friends when his owner is at work, but one day he finds himself captured by animal control. The movie is then a mad dash to get home to his owner and back to his sweet, comfy life. If there is one thing we’ve learned from movie pets, it’s that dogs are the GOAT. They’re more loyal than they have any right to be and will always come home to you. Brb, buying a farm so we can adopt every movie dog ever!
2. Hedwig from the Harry Potter films
This gorgeous snow owl is one of the most magical movie pets of all time. When Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) finds out he’s a wizard, he has to get supplies to attend his new wizarding school. And one of his first gifts from his first wizarding friend was beautiful Hedwig, a pet for his new adventure. The owl sticks with him through tumultuous years at Hogwarts and has a complete mind of her own. She nips at Harry to get his attention, gives affection on the reg, and was his lone friend when he had to return to his dismal family home during his summers off from Hogwarts. We all wish we could have a companion like her!
1. Bruiser Woods from Legally Blonde
If you can’t accessorize your dog to match your outfit for the day, then what’s the point? This Gemini vegetarian pup is the ultimate Paris Hilton-esque toy dog ideal for little outfits, painted puppy nails, and surely a whole lot of sass just like his owner, Elle (Reese Witherspoon). Bruiser was found abandoned by Elle, so she adopted him and made him fabulous! Honestly, Bruiser dresses better than us on most days so we’d totally adopt him for the fashion tips!