When you really put it into perspective, owning a pet really is an odd hobby.
Bringing a live animal of any type into our homes feels like it should be a recipe for disaster. Any living thing has a certain level of unpredictability to it and, especially if you have children, it does seem a little reckless to let animals roam free inside the home. But, for anyone who’s ever owned a pet, you know that it’s anything but that.
In Pets, Howard delves into the extraordinary ways that animals improve the lives of people all around the world. From dogs and cats to goats and pigs, Howard walks us into the deep relationship that we have with our furry (or feathered) friends and speaks to the ways that we can improve one another’s lives. Although, interspersed with the stories of 5-6 specific family stories, interviews are conducted primarily with children and youth. In doing so, the film maintains its ‘adorable’ tone. In essence, Pets is not meant to be a hard-hitting exposé about animals.
Instead, it’s designed to be a celebration of human-pet relations.
But credit must be given to Howard for not only focusing on traditional house pets like cats and dogs. Instead, by including unlikely beasty besties like pigs and falcons, the film intentionally broadens itself. Suddenly, this becomes a story about humanity looking for connections from the animal world beyond conventional pets.
Here, every family home has been blessed with the addition of their beloved animals. Even the disobedient animals are held in high regard as members of the family. In every case, Howard shows the power that these unlikely friends have over us and the positive change it can bring. We see the impact that caring for an animal can have on the home, from helping to elevate mental health to empowering people to take responsibility for another life (and their own). We hear the story of man who turned his life around from drug addiction. We see multiple stories of people who have taken in rescue animals in an effort to support them, only to discover a deeper sense of love within themselves. For this reason, Pets may be the most heart-warming doc in recent memory.
But, if there’s a flaw within Pets, it’s that Howard doesn’t take us too far underneath the surface of her own argument. The film does a wonderful job telling us how pets can make our home (and lives) better. Yet, the film struggles to get down to the ‘why’. Why do these lovable creatures make us into more caring individuals? What is it about them that brings us such joy? In Pets, these questions aren’t answered directly. We simply see countless examples of the fact that they do. While this isn’t a problem per se, it’s worth noting that those looking to delve into the psychology of pet ownership may find less answers than they’re looking for.
Or maybe the answers to that are more subtle. As one person suggests, we’re ‘just animals’ so the impulse to care for the animal kingdom may be more natural than we thought. While this isn’t a theme that’s explored in depth, Pets does suggest that this is simply one of the most natural impulses of being human. (It also might explain why cats and dogs can do such a good job of taking care of us as well.)
Whatever the reason, there’s an inherent joy to Pets that keeps it entertaining. With a deep appreciation of animals in its heart, the film understands that there’s simply something special that exists between pets and their owners. Whether we’re helping them or they’re helping us, this is a powerful reminder of the ways that our connections with our animals can truly be an uplifting experience. Even if it isn’t sure of the specifics as to why, Pets still knows that the human-pet relationship is something special.
After all, at the end of the day, we are just animals.
Pets is available on Disney+ now.
