Every kid needs a pet. A pet provides companionship, but did you know that there are other good reasons for letting your child have an animal friend?

According to parenting.com, pets also help kids with learning, they encourage nurturing, keep kids healthy, and build up family bonds. This is on top of them providing comfort and giving shy children something to talk about with others.

This list features some of the cutest kid-and-pet pictures around. Does your family have any pets? Upload a picture of your children hanging out with your pet below, or upvote your favorite!

(h/t: brightside)

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© Photo: Erin Vey

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© Photo: Dejan Klajić

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