For those who love them, pets can be a source of abundant joy for their owners. If a pet owners are looking to find a way to honor their furry friend, they can start by celebrating "National Pet Day" on April 11th. “National Pet Day” was established in 2006 by Animal Welfare Advocate, Colleen Paige.
In honor of ”National Pet Day,” let’s take a look at some famous pets, real or fictional, who have given joy to both their owners and other members of the community.
1. Snoopy
Snoopy the imaginative, fun-loving beagle of Charlie Brown made his first appearance in the Oct. 4, 1950 edition of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” comic. Ever since then, Snoopy has made appearances on television and has had his image featured on lunch boxes, T-shirts, stickers and has even had a theme park named after him. Throughout the years, Snoopy has been able to establish himself as an important part of American and Minnesota culture.
2. Garfield
The Monday hating tabby cat may be lazy, but this does not make him any less lovable. Garfield made his debut in Jim Davis’ 1978 comic. The famous cat is known for his love of lasagna and his distaste for Mondays and housemate Odie the dog.
3. Bo and Sunny Obama
The first family of the United States welcomed Bo the Portuguese water dog into their family in 2008 shortly after President Obama was inaugurated into the Oval Office. Bo plays fetch in the White House lawn and also joins the Obama Family on their vacations. He was a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy, and the hypoallergenic breed was a perfect fit with Obama’s daughters’ allergies. In 2013, the Obama Family welcomed Sunny, another Portuguese water dog into their home.
4. Tom
Tom the cat, from the “Tom and Jerry” cartoons, is mostly known for his rivalry with Jerry the mischievous mouse. He first appeared in a 1940 cartoon, and ever since, he has been creating elaborate traps in his efforts to trap Jerry. He is known for being unsuccessful in his attempts to trap the mouse.
5. Clifford
Clifford, from the “Clifford the Big Red Dog” books and cartoon series, was created by children’s author Norman Bridwell. In the 1960s, Scholastic published the Clifford books and currently, there are 126 million Clifford books in print. The books detailed the adventures of the warm and friendly over-sized dog, and his owner Emily Elizabeth.
6. Tweety Bird
The famous yellow canary made his first appearance in 1942. He lives in a birdcage at Granny’s house, and uses his wit to outsmart Sylvester the cat, who constantly tries to eat him. Tweety Bird was first brought to life by the voice of famous voice over actor Mel Blanc, who also provided the voice for Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig.
7. Toothless the Dragon
Toothless was first introduced in the “How to Train Your Dragon” children’s book, written by Cressida Cowell in 2003. In 2010, the character found a new life in the DreamWorks Animation adaptation of the book. Toothless is the dragon of young Viking Hiccup. The two became friends after the dragon is accidentally trapped by Hiccup, and their relationship marks the beginning of the end of the rivalry between Vikings and dragons. Although Toothless is a fictional character, the animators based most of Toothless’ body language after the movement of cats and smaller reptiles like lizards and iguanas.
8. Olivia Benson and Meredith Grey
Named after the lead characters from “Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” Taylor Swift’s cats have made quite a mark on the singer’s life and her Instagram profile.
9. Pluto
Mickey Mouse’s lovable dog Pluto made his first appearance in a 1931 cartoon. Like most dogs, Pluto is loyal, playful, and his owner’s best friend. Even though he has sparked up a rivalry with Minnie Mouse’s cat Figaro, Pluto remains friendly and clever.
10. Salem Saberhagen
Salem is a black cat that lives with Sabrina Saberhagen and her aunts, from “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” Salem is loyal to his owner, but unlike most pet cats, Salem has the ability to talk. This strange ability provides Salem the opportunity to provide the show with funny one-liners and sarcastic jokes.
11. Scooby-Doo
Scooby, or Scoobert Doo, started his adventures in the Mystery Machine, on Sept. 30, 1969. For over forty years, the easily spooked Great Dane has been joining crime-solving group, Mystery Inc. on their adventures. Scooby is often paired up with Shaggy, a slacker with a big appetite. The dynamic duo is often scared off by the ghost and goblins chasing the team, so the crime solving is left up to the rest of the group, which includes Velma, Fred and Daphne. Every once in a while, Scooby’s nephew Scrappy-Doo would join the gang on their adventures as well.
12. Grumpy Cat
The famous internet cat, whose name is actually Tardar Sauce, made her debut in 2012 after her photo was posted on Reddit. The cat’s grumpy demeanor is due to her feline dwarfism, and when she isn’t posing for photos or making public appearances, she lives a happy and normal life with her owner Tabatha Bundesen in Arizona.
13. Courage
Courage, from the Cartoon Network series “Courage the Cowardly Dog.” While living with his owners Eustace and Muriel, Courage is faced with fighting off monsters and dangers while trying to protect Muriel. Even though Courage has the appearance of being easily frightened, he is often the bravest character in the show, and lives up to his name.
14. Sylvester the Cat
Sylvester is often known for his attempts at trying to eat Tweety Bird. Sylvester made his first appearance in a 1945 cartoon, but he didn’t meet his nemesis Tweety, until 1947. Sylvester is constantly going after Tweety, because the bird gets more attention from Granny. Sylvester is also famous for his lisp. Like many other “Looney Tunes” characters, voice actor Mel Blanc provides the voice of Sylvester.
Even though many of these pets are fictional, they are all loved and cared for by their owners. If you have a pet, make sure you let them know they are cared for this “National Pet Day.”