Giving us our most enthusiastic greetings and most gut-wrenching goodbyes, pets are more than just furry, scaly, or feathered friends. They’re travel buddies, playmates, and trusted confidants, sharing in our joy and grief as we walk through life with them following dutifully by our sides. Bryce Dallas Howard’s Pets takes us lovingly through the journey of pet ownership, telling a variety of uplifting stories about people finding their best friends in unlikely beings. Filled with inspiring stories and adorable animals, this Disney+ documentary will leave you uplifted, grateful, and reaching for the tissues while your dog looks at you and wonders why you’re sobbing.
What Is the Disney+ Documentary ‘Pets’ About?

The documentary opens with clips of people loving on their pets, immediately setting the heartwarming tone for the rest of the movie. Pets takes us across the world from North Carolina, Spain, Japan, and beyond, telling multiple tales of devoted pet owners from all walks of life. Rather than just showcasing nuclear families with golden retrievers (who, don’t get me wrong, are excellent), all kinds of pets are featured here. From bunnies, sheep, and falcons, to the biggest mini pig you’ve ever seen, every animal you can think of gets a moment to shine alongside their sapien soulmates.
We hear from people like Sterling Davis, a rapper-turned-cat rescuer who created a dating app for cat lovers, Sergi, who kayaks around Spain with his dog Nirvana onboard, and Kristin and Jay, who run a sanctuary for special-needs animals in North Carolina with their 300lb pig, Ziggy. Travis and Adam adopt a puppy who brings new life to their aging dog, and Shizue’s precious pups keep her company after her husband’s passing. Throughout the documentary, we check back in with each of the little families, getting to know them and feeling like we get closure for every story.
Besides the Adorable Animals, the Kids Make ‘Pets’ Even More Enjoyable

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Amid these tales of rescue, rehabilitation, and unrelenting love, we see interviews with kids talking about their own experiences with animal friends. Now, tugging on the heartstrings of animal lovers is admittedly a pretty easy thing to do. Throw some cute kids into the mix, and Pets seems like a surefire hit and an easy feat for Bryce Dallas Howard. It’s really not hard to make people melt over footage of children getting kittens for Christmas.
However, Howard doesn’t just use the kids as a crutch to maintain the sweetness of her documentary. The kids featured in Pets are witty, sharp, and delightfully honest, at times delivering some of the most thoughtful lines in the movie. One boy, Landon, recounts his connection with his dog Bilbo because they were both born with cleft lips and palates, while 13-year-old Goldie confides that while some of her friends may get sick of her, her pets never do. Most people can remember the first pet that had a lasting impression on them growing up, and Pets reminds us of the value of these formative friendships.
Bryce Dallas Howard’s Documentary Showcases the Happiness and Heartbreak of Having Pets

While the majority of Pets’ runtime is dedicated to showcasing the happiness that comes with having pets, the documentary doesn’t shy away from the crushing fact that we can’t keep them forever. As inevitable as the fur on our clothes and the crap on our floors, the Rainbow Bridge is the fate we try to ignore until the time comes for our beloved animals to cross it. In one of the movie’s most tear-jerking moments, Shizue says that it’s our responsibility as guardians to show our pets gratitude and see them off at the end of their lives, ensuring that if you weren’t already crying, you certainly are now.
Most importantly, Pets never diminishes the grief of pet loss. As falconer and conservationist Rodney Stotts assures us, “Love is love is love is love.” Nevertheless, the movie also doesn’t dwell on feelings of sadness for too long, honoring these emotions before reminding the sniffling audience that while the death of a pet is devastating, it’s the price we pay for getting to experience the purest form of love there is. For a lot of kids, losing a pet is their first real experience with grief. The kids in Pets are no exception, and hearing their insights as they process their pain makes this documentary a worthwhile watch for people of all ages, even though it is, at times, a hard one.

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However, beyond just the universal anguish of mourning pets after they’re gone, there’s plenty of upbeat, relatable content in this movie for any pet owner to enjoy. From the never-ending stockpile of lint rollers to the stupid songs we sing to our animals when we think nobody else is listening, there are many funny moments candidly captured throughout the documentary that provide a much-needed contrast to the sadder parts of the movie. (Honorable mentions can also be given to original pet names, including, but not limited to, Alanis Mew-issette).
As the young Landon so perfectly puts it at the end of the film, “The best part of pets is just… pets.” While making a watchable documentary about animals isn’t necessarily the tallest order, Bryce Dallas Howard imbues Pets with so much heart that it transcends from a pleasant fluff piece to an honest and thought-provoking look at life and loss… while still being pretty damn cute.
Pets is now available to stream on Disney+.