Why name a black cat after something that is, traditionally, white? Because Snowball II is named after her predecessor…Snowball. Who was white. Snowball II reigned in the Simpsons household from 1985 to 2004, until Doctor Hibbert’s Mercedes-Benz hit her. Lisa went through a number of pets, eventually settling on a cat that was identical to Snowball II in every way. Including, after a bit of thought, her name.
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The cat has a good relationship with the other household pet, Santa’s Little Helper, and often tries hard to get the attention of Lisa and the rest of the family when she feels ignored.
Tom Cat from “Tom and Jerry”
If you've never seen a “Tom and Jerry” cartoon but have read about it, you might think that it isn't inappropriate for children, and more's the pity. As Tom hunted down Jerry, he used human inventions and cleverness but was always stymied by the wily mouse. He was often paid for his efforts, getting electrocuted, cut in half, rolled flat, or hit by the classic anvil.
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The show never showed blood or gore, and even today it delights children. Tom has been around since the 1940 MGM animated short “Puss Gets the Boot,” and he's still trying to capture Jerry.
Odie from “Garfield”
Odie is a lovely, dopey dog that appears to be a brown-eared beagle. He's Garfield's best friend, but often gets the brunt of the orange cat's ire when something goes wrong.
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Odie first appeared along with Jon Arbuckle's housemate, Lyman. Lyman made regular appearances on the strip until April 24th, 1983, when he last appeared. Since then, Odie has been adopted by Jon – though a number of strips retcon this to say Jon has always been Odie's owner. Fun fact: Odie's name was originally Spot until Davis realized Spot was already the name of a character.
CatDog from “CatDog”
With a cat head at one end and a dog head at the other, CatDog makes most adults take a step back and think about the many, many questions that arise. Those questions are never addressed, of course, since it's a kid's show.
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The show revolves around the conjoined pets, and their day-to-day life as the strangest creature kids cartoons have ever seen – and that's saying something. With plenty of sarcasm and dark humor, we wonder if the show was a little ahead of its time when it appeared on Nickelodeon. The program ran from 1998 to 2005, though the final season began in 2000 and only had eight episodes.
Lady and Tramp from “Lady and the Tramp”
Lady is a purebred Cocker Spaniel and Tramp is a mutt, but the two still manage to fall in love. Their self-titled animated feature came out in 1955, telling the romantic story of these two dogs amid a harsh reality.
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Lady is demure, naive, and well-kept, while Tramp is laid-back, smart, and ragged. Despite the couple's ups and downs over the length of the film, love wins, and Tramp is brought into the human family to join his love. The scene of them eating pasta together is famous in pop culture – it has been parodied, imitated, and spoofed dozens of times.
Dollar from “Richie Rich”
With dollar signs instead of normal spots, Dollar is a “Dollarmatian,” and he's happy to accompany his owner and best friend Richie everywhere he goes, be it a rescue mission, foiling a crime, or a trip to the store.
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Dollar is obsessed with food. Whenever it's up to him to pull off a stunt that helps the adventures or lets him show off, the dog imagines himself doing it in style – and then, in real life, failing. Aside from Richie, Dollar is the only character that appears in all of the Riches and Zillion Dollar Adventures segments. In many of the segments, he's a central character.
Bolt from “Bolt”
A white-haired German Shepherd from a movie of the same name, we watched as Bolt grew up and grew into his identity as a superhero. After having played a superpowered pet on TV for a while, Bolt seems to think he actually does have powers. He believes his beloved owner, a girl named Penny, has been kidnapped and sets out to rescue her.
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Voiced by John Travolta, Bolt doesn't have any superpowers, other than a loud bark, but he still manages to save Penny from danger at the end of the film. Bolt ended up being so well-liked he made a cameo in the 2012 film “Wreck-It Ralph.”
Dino from “The Flintstones”
Dino was part of the Flintstones right from the very start since he appeared in the 1960 debut as part of the opening credits. He's a friendly purple Snorkasaurus who loves to knock Fred Flintstone down and give him a good licking – all the traits of a lovable household dog.
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He's most reminiscent of a yapping Jack Russell terrier and got his voice from the man of a thousand voices, Mel Blanc. In a world where dinosaurs do everything from garbage disposal to playing rudimentary records, having a home where you're a cherished pet seems pretty good for Dino.
Santa's Little Helper from “The Simpsons”
Ever wondered why this greyhound has that interesting name? It was all the way back in 1989, when “The Simpsons” was still just getting its start when the family visited the Christmas greyhound race. This little dog lost the race, and the owner abandoned him. The dog joins the police, goes through surgery, father's puppies, and even becomes the new mascot of the show's Duff beer.
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Unlike many of the other animals or pets that have appeared on the show, Santa's Little Helper continues to make appearances even after so much time has passed. He can be destructive, but he loves the family and they love him back.
Rajah from “Aladdin”
Not many big cats will make it onto this list, but Rajah certainly deserves the spot. Set in the fictional kingdom of Agrabah, “Aladdin” had Princess Jasmine, and Princess Jasmine had her pet tiger Rajah. Of course, even if people do own tigers, they wouldn't be kept in bedrooms, but in a Disney movie, all bets are off.
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Rajah protects Jasmine from both violent enemies and unwanted suitors, and while he doesn't do a great deal to help the plot of any of the movies, he does get a few chances during the animated TV show. But he doesn't really need to – sometimes a palace-bound princess just needs a friendly, furry face to talk to.
Bitzer from “Shaun the Sheep”
As part of a British stop-motion claymation show by the creator behind Wallace and Gromit, Bitzer is a bit of an odd duck. Dog. Bitzer is a farmer's loyal dog, and though he is strict about his work as a working dog should, he often needs Shaun the sheep's help getting his duties done.
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He wants a quiet life, but with Shaun around, that isn't likely to happen. Though he's close friends with Shaun and the rest of the flock, he's devoted to his farmer. He works hard to keep the flock's true nature a secret from the farmer, believing it would lead him to think he's gone insane.
Iago from “Aladdin”
There are plenty of animal characters from this famous series of Disney movies, and Iago is without a doubt the mouthiest. Since Gilbert Gottfried provides the colorful bird's voice, it was always going to be that way.
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Iago began as the bird on villainous Vizier Jafar's shoulder, but he quickly branches out and flies away from Jafar, joining the side of the good guys and gals as Jafar became eviler and eviler. He's mostly out for himself, but he does find the time to help out Aladdin, Jasmine, and the genie every once in a while. His allegiances keep switching, but he remains a fun, memorable character no matter what.
Snowball II from “The Simpsons”
Why name a black cat after something that is, traditionally, white? Because Snowball II is named after her predecessor...Snowball. Who was white. Snowball II reigned in the Simpsons household from 1985 to 2004, until Doctor Hibbert's Mercedes-Benz hit her. Lisa went through a number of pets, eventually settling on a cat that was identical to Snowball II in every way. Including, after a bit of thought, her name.
![Snowball II from “The Simpsons” Snowball II from “The Simpsons” | Alamy Stock Photo](/wp-content/uploads/cmg_images/357670/rid_125a022e788bc522a555a3fc22a531d7/CXM298-The-Best-and-Most-Famous-Cartoon-Pets-Ever-The-Simpsons-1024x750.jpg.pro-cmg.jpg)
The cat has a good relationship with the other household pet, Santa's Little Helper, and often tries hard to get the attention of Lisa and the rest of the family when she feels ignored.
Brian from “Family Guy”
Hardly even a pet, this dog makes it onto the list via being a nominal member of the family. He walks and talks like a human, drinks, drives, is trying to make his way as a writer, and gets into fights.
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Most often seen with toddler Stewie, the two travel through time and save the world. Brian also spends a lot of time with his owner, Peter Griffin. This dog even dates human women, which can raise some eyebrows. Still, he sticks with his friends and family and usually tries to help them out, which means he certainly counts as a loyal pet. But just barely.
Weenie from “Oswald”
Weenie – who appears to actually be a hot dog in a bun – is a deuteragonist of “Oswald” alongside her owner, the titular blue octopus.
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Weenie is a loyal and affectionate pet who keeps Oswald focused, and stops him from getting carried away on an idea. She loves to play frisbee or with a ball of yarn, and also enjoys howling along as Oswald plays the piano. She communicates in “bark-speak,” doing her best to tell Oswald what she knows. She loves ice cream and sticks with her owner through thick and thin since the very first episode. Her last appearance was the final episode of the show.
Rufus from “Kim Possible”
He isn't a cat or a dog, but if anybody tries to separate Rufus from his loving owner Ron Stoppable, there's going to be trouble. This cute little naked mole-rat doesn't even have any fur, but he still loves Tex-Mex, adventures, and Kim, just like Ron does.
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It's hard to count the number of times Rufus has gotten Kim or Ron out of sticky situations, or the number of times that Rufus has bombed Ron's schemes to be more popular or cooler in school. He's voiced by Nancy Cartwright, who is best known for her long-running role as Bart Simpson.
Astro Jetson from “The Jetsons”
As the space-age mirror to the stone-age Flintstones, the Jetsons presented their own take on modern life, showing us the far-flung future. Astro is the family dog that first appeared with the family in 1962.
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Even though he causes plenty of stress to owner George Jetson, Astro is a best friend to the family. Though clumsy and dim-witted, he's loyal to everyone in the family. The dog can talk in rough “dog-sounding” English thanks to Don Messick. If you've ever thought that Scooby and Astro sound similar, that's because they share Messick and basically have the same voice.
Fu Dog from “American Dragon: Jake Long”
A Chinese Shar-Pei, Fu Dog is a magical animal guardian to Jake Long and Jake's grandfather Lao Shi. He assists with training Jake and provides lots of information about magical creatures and items.
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Fu is able to walk upright thanks to his magical nature but has no trouble masquerading as a “normal” dog. He is stated to be over six hundred years old and has been feuding with a similarly magical cat named Yan Yan for some time, all over a lucky coin. Fu Dog is based on a Chinese architectural ornament called a Foo Dog which, among a number of things, is said to offer protection from spirits.
Azrael from “The Smurfs”
Even if you only know about the animated cartoon show that began in the eighties, Azrael and his master Gargamel have been trying to catch and eat the blue-skinned Smurfs since 1959.
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The characters originally began in a comic by Pierre Peo Culliford, a Belgian cartoonist. Azrael, an orange tabby, loves spending time with the evil wizard Gargamel, even if the wizard does end up blaming the cat for all of his failures. Despite this, he remains loyal to his owner, even if he does like to snicker at Gargamel's failed schemes. Azrael's name comes from an Angel of Death, which is quite terrifying, and great for an evil wizard's pet.
Perry the Platypus from “Phineas and Ferb”
Most of the animals on this list are cats or dogs, but Perry will be the only platypus seen. Even though Phineas and Ferb say that he doesn't do much, it turns out Perry has a secret life – that of a secret agent of O.W.A., who constantly battles against the scientist Heinz Doofenshmirtz.
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Doofenshmirtz's dangerous -inators constantly threatened the tri-state area, but Perry was always there to stop him. Nobody in the family knows about Perry's double life, and it has to stay that way, or the family's memories will be wiped and Perry will have to be relocated. Perry loves the brothers, and even Candice, their sister, and doesn't want that to happen.
Akamaru from “Naruto”
As the canine companion to ninja Kiba Inuzuka, Akamaru is a stalwart ally to Team Kurenai in this action-packed manga and anime series. Kiba and Akamaru joined forces while Kiba was still in the Academy. His mother, Tsume, entrusted him with Akamaru, and although one of the dog's first acts was urinating on Kiba's face, the two eventually became inseparable.
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A devoted pet, Akamaru is overprotective of Kiba, even to the point of trying to drag his master away from his relationship with Tamaki in order to continue training and improving as a shinobi. By the epilogue of the story, Akamaru is old and spends most of his time napping.
Jake the Dog from “Adventure Time”
What do you mean he isn't a dog? It's right there in his name! Okay, fine, dogs can't normally talk, change their shape to anything they want, or make bacon pancakes, but here we are anyway.
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Not exactly a pet, Jake is still Finn the human's best friend and constant companion, minus the few episodes where they became at odds. He's wise, supportive, and guides Finn through all the troubles he comes across, while also being a good husband and father at the same time. Really, we should all try to be Jake, even if we can't change our shapes to whatever we want.
Courage from “Courage the Cowardly Dog”
Part comedy and part horror, “Courage the Cowardly Dog” was a standout show on Cartoon Network during the nineties. Courage constantly kept his owners, an irascible farmer and his kind-hearted wife, safe from monsters, ghouls, and other terrifying things.
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Courage is, as the show's title notes, quite scared of everything, but he has to constantly overcome his fears to battle the monsters. What could be better than a pet that puts it all on the line to protect his family? The show ran for four seasons, showing us ghosts, aliens, mummies, and plenty of other creepy characters.
Puar from “Dragon Ball”
Though appearing to be a strange combination of a cat and a rabbit, Puar is neither. With an unwavering love for Yamcha, the two appear early in Goku's journey in the original “Dragon Ball.” Though not as skilled at fighting as Yamcha (who himself is quickly left in the dust by the stronger characters), Puar's ability to transform into a number of creatures proves invaluable during the many fights of the series.
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Puar can also levitate, and before the main characters learn how to fly, it's incredibly useful. The character's gender has never been truly nailed down since the voice actors changed a few times, but Akira Toriyama considered the character male while writing the manga.
Shiro from “Crayon Shin-chan”
Also called Lucky or Whitey depending on the dub you're watching, Shiro (meaning white) is a fluffy Maltese puppy that child Shin-chan found in a cardboard box in an early episode of this cute anime series.
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Despite being a beloved member of the family, Shiro is often forgotten by his owner, due to Shin-chan's hectic nature. He's developed a talent for scavenging since his meals end up sometimes being few and far between. He is mostly dog-like, but a few human elements are present, such as being notably responsible and incredibly careful. In a number of specials, Shiro can speak.
Dogmatix from “Asterix”
This tiny white terrier is the perfect companion for a huge Gaulish warrior – they even have the same response to danger (attack). Dogmatix – known as Idefix in the original French – first appeared in the fifth Asterix book, “Asterix and the Banquet,” which came out in 1965.
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He's the only animal character among the main characters of the series and is often relegated to a minor comedic role. Asterix and Obelix would often get into shouting matches about whether or not Dogmatix should join them on adventures. He, like the rest of the characters, has drunk the magic potion that makes the Gaulish warriors so strong.
Max from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
While the Grinch in his many reincarnations always steals the show, his faithful pooch Max is always there to help him out. At the top of Mt. Crumpit, even the surly Grinch has space in his shrunken, shriveled heart for a pet.
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While a villain's pet usually lands in the sycophant role, Max is kind-hearted, warm, and affectionate, whether or not the Grinch likes it. His goodness is in stark contrast to his green-furred owner. Once the Grinch learns the truth of the holiday, and his heart grows three sizes, Max is fully on-board as they return all the presents, trimmings, and roast beast.
Muttley from “Wacky Races”
Though not the kindest dog, Muttley was always there to help his owner, the villain Dick Dastardly, try and cheat his way into the winner's circle. Even though he helped set the schemes up, he took great delight in watching them blow up in Dastardly's face, always delivering his memorable wheezy laugh when it happened.
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Despite being one of the lesser-known animals on this list, his impression of the dog sidekick can't be understated – how many even on this list roll their eyes and go along with what their masters want? That's all thanks to Muttley.
Kagechiyo from “Ninja Hattori”
Kagechiyo is a black and white cat that has the Koga symbol on his forehead, with large teeth and a shrill voice. He's a fierce, gung-ho warrior that never backs down, and often works as Kamumaki's messenger and fights alongside him. Kagechiyo is, however, not as evil as his boss, and will sometimes help Hattori with his missions.
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He wears his treasured red scarf for luck and likes to sing when in a good mood. Like most cats, he enjoys fish. Seeing as he is a cat and his owner also has a dog, it's natural that the two animal characters frequently end up fighting.
Hobbes from “Calvin and Hobbes”
Pet? Toy? Somewhere in between? We aren't going to decide, but we figure he's close enough one way or another. As the rowdy Calvin's constant companion, Hobbes the stuffed tiger helped him build snowmen, avoid homework, play Calvinball, and read comics – when he wasn't terrorizing the child as a hunting tiger does.
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The two discussed deep philosophical topics, adventured through the woods, and made us all a little better during the time the comic strip ran. The question remains: was Hobbes really turning into a tiger? Or was it all in Calvin's head? One way or another, we all loved the pair.
Gary from “Spongebob Squarepants”
The focus is always on Spongebob or one of his friends, but his chill pet snail Gary always has a few lines in every episode – even if it's just a meow. He might not act at all like an undersea snail, but he does hiss, bathes, and reacts just like an above-water cat.
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Despite the fact that Spongebob has been on the air since 1999, Gary is one of the newer members of this list, but his helpful attitude makes him a welcome addition to this list. He's been around for longer than the average sea snail, and he's still going strong.
Zero from “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Despite being a ghost dog, Zero acts very much like any regular dog. He loves fetching bones (that are part of Jack Skellington's body). He's also quite perceptive, showing reservation when Jack develops an unhealthy obsession with Christmas – vindicated when the obsession turns out to be a disaster.
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His primary concern is Jack's happiness, and so even though he didn't like the obsession, Zero helped out Jack, trying to guide him in the right direction. With a glowing jack-o-lantern nose at the end of his long snout, he ends up taking the Rudolph spot as Jack masquerades as Santa Claus.
Nermal from “Garfield”
Making his first appearance in 1979, Nermal immediately started to get on Garfield's nerves. He was often mistaken for a female due to his long eyelashes and the feminine tone of his voice. However, this is because Jim Davis tends to give young characters long eyelashes.
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Nermal often intentionally annoys Garfield and Odie, prompting Garfield to try and mail him to Abu Dhabi. Much to Garfield's dismay, Nermal often shows up on Garfield's birthday. He proclaims himself the cutest kitten in the world, and despite annoying Garfield, sees the bigger cat as his best friend. With a mixture of devious brilliance and cuteness, Nermal is a one-of-a-kind kitty.
Shishimaru from “Ninja Hattori”
With yellowish fur and brown jowls, Shishimaru is quite the recognizable dog. He's a bit overweight since he loves eating, but most of his loyalty goes to the brothers Kanzo and Shinzo – though, of the two, Shinzo is his favorite.
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Most of the time this ninja dog goes on adventures with the brothers. He's often lazy and would rather stay at home, but his desire to be with his friends usually wins out. With an ability to change his shape slightly to fit a need, he's often a useful tool for the brothers. He can also, for some reason, turn into a fireball.
Abu from “Aladdin”
Maybe less of a pet and more of a best friend, Abu was always on Aladdin's shoulder throughout all three animated movies and the television show that Disney produced. Whether he was in his natural primate form or, as in the first film, had been changed into an elephant, he was on Aladdin's side through thick and thin.
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With quick hands and a quicker mouth, Abu helped Aladdin steal the food they needed, though he wasn't anywhere near as altruistic as Aladdin when it came to handing food out to those even less fortunate. He was also pretty gobsmacked when Aladdin got hearts in his eyes for Jasmine.
Snoopy from “Peanuts”
First appearing more than seventy years ago in 1950, Snoopy was inspired by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz's childhood pet, a beagle named Spike.
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He's a loyal (mostly) pet of the round-headed Charlie Brown, but he is much more than that. He wowed kids with his tales of being a World War I pilot, worked on his pulp novels at a typewriter, had a blast decorating his famous dog house with Christmas lights, and much more. He's famous around the world – Tokyo even has a Snoopy Museum. Snoopy is the pet we wish we had.
Snuffles from “The Quick Draw McGraw Show”
Can an animal have a pet? It's the question of our time. The titular horse of “The Quick Draw McGraw Show” brought along his own animal friend in Snuffles, a dog who loved treats so much he would no-foolin' levitate off the ground whenever he got to enjoy one. This was something that happened on a pretty consistent basis, since getting Snuffles to do much of anything was difficult unless you had plied him with a treat.
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His sons, who made a number of appearances, inherited their father's love of treats and tended to act the same way.
Garfield from “Garfield”
The epitome of stubborn laziness and snarky wit, Garfield is without a doubt the world's most famous cat. Creator Jim Davis took the world by storm, releasing all kinds of merchandise. You can find everything from books to stuffed animals to clothing to...basically anything.
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For decades, the orange cat has loved lasagna and hated Mondays and was voiced by Lorenzo Music up until the man's death in 2001. Music once provided the voice of Peter Venkman in the animated “Ghostbusters,” and to return the favor, Venkman's original actor Bill Murray voiced Garfield in the 2004 and 2006 live-action movies. The cartoon strip is translated into more than forty languages.
Snuffles from “Rick and Morty”
Though mentioned in the very first episode, Snuffles wasn't seen in “Rick and Morty” until the second episode, “Lawnmower Dog.”
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Morty is having some trouble house-training Snuffles, so he gets grandpa Rick to create an intelligence-enhancing helmet for the pet. Snuffles grows smarter and smarter, changing his name to Snowball and enslaving most of the humans on the show, save Rick and Morty, who are off on an adventure. Once they returned, Snowball admits he can't enslave the only human who loved him – Morty – and takes the other dogs to an intelligent dog planet in another dimension. It was Snuffle's first, and last, appearance on the show.
Spike and Tyke from “Tom and Jerry”
Most of the episodes of “Tom and Jerry” have the titular mouse getting the better of Tom without much trouble, but sometimes he needs help. That's where Spike and Tyke, a father-and-son duo of bulldogs, come in.
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While Spike appears more often, Tyke is often there to help out, keeping Jerry away from Tom's clutches. However, the duo is often against Jerry as well as Tom for one reason or another – it always varies by episode. Spike is a good father to Tyke, while Tyke is a respectful and loving son. Their addition to the madcap comedy of “Tom and Jerry” usually takes it up another notch.
Scooby-Doo from “Scooby-Doo”
You know this dog, and you love him. He, along with his best pal Shaggy and their friends Fred, Velma, and Daphne, has been solving mysteries since the sixties. Created and drawn by the famous animator Iwao Takamoto for Hanna-Barbera Productions, Scooby got his name from CBS executive Frank Silverman, based on the nonsensical lyrics from Frank Sinatra: “Dooby dooby doo.”
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Able to overcome his many fears in exchange for snacks, he's usually up for adventures. His original voice and mannerisms came from voice actor Don Messick, who did lots of dog voices, including Scooby's nephew Scrappy.
Tweety Bird and Sylvester from Warner Brothers
“Tweety Bird” and the “puddy-tat” that he sees over and over – Sylvester – have appeared in forty-two animated shorts, as well as plenty of TV appearances and even some movies for more than seven decades.
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As Sylvester constantly yearns to gobble up the yellow Tweety Bird, he is always, without fail, stymied. Be it falling anvils, Granny's broom, or the strong-armed neighbor dog, Sylvester never gets his treat. Tweety and the poor old puddy-tat have managed to form a bond of odd friendship that is plenty strong.
Gromit from “Wallace and Gromit”
If you were lucky enough to have seen these specials or the movie-length project while growing up, you know how lucky Wallace is to have Gromit. While Wallace was smart, it was Gromit who kept things from getting out of hand.
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Though not, technically, a cartoon, we think that claymation is close enough. Whether rescuing his owner from a pair of robot pants, saving him from a shearing-machine gone bad, or helping him on a trip to the moon, Gromit's eye-rolling love for his owner practically set a standard when it came to silent pets. He's more down-to-earth than Gromit, and that's exactly the kind of thing a crazy inventor needs.
Woodstock from “Peanuts”
Sidekick and best friend as well as, sort of, pet, Woodstock first appeared in the “Peanuts” comic strip in March of 1966 but didn't earn his name until June of 1970 – almost a year after the famous music festival that provided his name.
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Apparently the bird began as a female, but once Charles Schultz came up with the name, the gender changed to male, since the name seemed more masculine. Schultz never divulged what kind of bird Woodstock is, though a few comic strips have ruled out eagle, duck, and American Bittern. Many assume he is a canary like Tweety Bird, but Schultz has never said yes or no.
Snowy from “Adventures of Tintin”
No matter who you are, if you found Tintin books when you were a kid, you fell in love with the globe-trotting reporter and his little white dog. A Wire Fox Terrier, Snowy goes by the name “Milou” in the comic's original French. His bond with his owner is strong, and the two have saved each other's lives multiple times.
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While he prefers to stay by his owner's side, Snowy is often separated from Tintin. At the end of the day, they always manage to get back together. The dog was originally cynical in order to balance Tintin's optimism, but after the addition of Captain Haddock, Snowy became more good-natured.
Pesu from “Tsurupika-Hagemaru”
With a red collar and thick eyebrows just like his master Hagemaru, Pesu is always up for the fun this anime show brings. While extremely loyal to Hagemaru, Pesu can also be sarcastic, and particularly enjoys commenting on how poor Hagemaru's family is.
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Stingy just like the rest of the family, the pet can be selfish and tends to save everything he can. He has a crush on the dog Fluffy that appears on the show every once in a while. If the family ever needs him to do something, all they have to do is offer him a bone and he'll go along with it.
Mr. Peabody from “Peabody's Improbable History”
Mr. Hector J. Peabody is the world's smartest being. He's also a dog, a beagle to be precise. One day he became lonely and adopted a young human boy named Sherman. That's right, this dog isn't a pet – he's the owner! Pulled a sneaky on ya.
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Peabody can speak eight languages fluently, has worked for the foreign service, and is even called the “Woof of Wall Street.” He and his boy Sherman go on plenty of fun adventures using a time machine, and despite the numerous inaccuracies, kids not only got a laugh but managed to learn something, as they watched Peabody and Sherman fix the problems with history.
Pluto from Disney
Disney began with the sensational six: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto. Of the six, Pluto was the only one who was anthropomorphized like the others and still retained the dog-like qualities. This despite his owner, Goofy, also being a dog. It's very confusing.
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The pooch got his start as an unnamed bloodhound from the 1930 animated short “The Chain Gang.” A few months later he made another appearance as Minnie Mouse's dog Rover in “The Picnic.” He didn't become Pluto – named for the planet that had just been discovered – until 1931 and “The Moose Hunt,” taking his place at Mickey's side. He's been a star ever since.
Pongo and Perdita from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians”
As soon as Walt Disney read “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” by Dodie Smith, he knew right away that it was the kind of thing he could make into a movie. In 1961 it happened, and the film follows the book closely.
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As Pongo and Perdita's owners fall in love, the dogs do the same, eventually having fifteen puppies. After the evil Cruella de Vil steals the dogs away, the adult dogs don't stop until their children are safe. Some people think that Perdita and Pongo had every one of the 101 puppies, but eighty-four of them were adopted after being rescued from Cruella.
Dukey from “Johnny Test”
Johnny Test received Dukey as a gift on his eleventh birthday, and before long Johnny's mad-scientist sisters had used him as an experiment, giving him the ability to talk and walk on his hind legs. As Johnny Test uses his sister's science projects to help with one scheme or another, Dukey often acts as the voice of reason – though he also usually ends up joining Johnny after being tempted by a treat.
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Dukey gets pretty stressed out by all of the dangerous things Johnny does, though it always turns out right in the end. His memory is quite good, and he uses it to remind Johnny of the more dangerous things that have happened.
Dug from “Up”
Dug is a golden retriever who belongs to Charles Muntz in the Pixar movie “Up,” but it isn't too long before he changes allegiances and starts helping out Carl and Russell. He's able to speak and understand English thanks to the special collar that Charles Muntz invented.
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Despite looking older, Dug acts much like a puppy, with boundless energy and excitement about each and every single thing. During the incredible adventure that the other characters of the film go on, Dug is a constant companion and help, getting everyone home safely. Dug immediately idolizes Carl and sees him as his new master. By the end of the film, he is a father with something like twenty puppies very much like him.