The 25 most memorable TV pets

It's one thing for a dog to talk. But quite another for one able to type on a computer and post his or her own blog. Meet Stan, who is able to do both and draw plenty of laughs within the household of the Jennings-James family from this former Disney Channel hit. Now, just the kids of the blended family are aware of Stan's talent, but keeping it from their parents is part of the fun.

Craig is the anthropomorphic pet snake of Sanjay Patel, but he would rather be considered a human. Craig is quite the character, known for taking on different looks and being comfortable wearing a three-quarter sleeve shirt. Craig likes to have a good time with buddy Sanjay, and has been known to "raise the roof." Though since he does not have hands, he's only capable of raising half the roof. 

A collie mix, Murray was loyally devoted to Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt). In the realm of Mad About You lore, Paul found Murray as a puppy, kept him and met Jamie while walking the dog one day. Murray also fancied chasing what was thought to be an imaginary mouse around the couple's apartment. However, it apparently turned out that the mouse was actually real.

Buck was the first dog owned by the Bundy family. He fit right in with the dysfunctional family, especially when it came to the laziness of his master and family patriarch Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill). We often hear what's going on in Buck's mind, and it was usually something sarcastic. We also know that Buck is quite popular with the female dogs in the neighborhood.

Vincent was Walt's Yellow Labrador Retriever. There were plenty of mysterious characters during Lost's massively popular run on ABC, and chalk Vincent up there with the all the others. He was involved in various storylines on all sides of the time jumps. Though he belonged to Walt, Vincent seemed to have a special bond with Jack (Matthew Fox) -- from beginning to the end.

Klaus is the pet fish of the Smith family. He also has quite the back story when we dig deep into his life. Klaus, according to the show, is actually a human whose brain was put into the body of a fish. As a human, Klaus was once a great Olympic-level ski jumper for the former country of East Germany. In his fish form, however, Klaus often seems content with his surroundings while being taken care of by his adopted family.

Suave Det. Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) lived on a boat, and his pet alligator, Elvis, doubled both as a pet and a home security option (not to mention a drug-sensing accomplice). According to Crockett, himself, Elvis was the former mascot of the Florida Gators football team. That was until he took a chomp out of the free safety of the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Eddie was a Jack Russell Terrier and best friend of Frasier's father, Martin (John Mahoney). While Eddie was most loyal to Martin, he seemed uncertain about Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), whom he would often gaze at without any real emotion. Much to the chagrin of the self-serving radio-show host. Eddie did not like taking a B-A-T-H, but seemed to be OK with Daphne (Jane Leeves) when she came to be in his presence.

Even in the future, man needs a best friend. In this case, Astro was beloved by the entire Jetson family. However, perhaps most by patriarch George and his son Elroy, who had a special bond the dog. Interesting to note that before Astro became property of the Jetsons, he was owned by the well-off Mr. J.P. Gottrockets, and went by the name of Tralfaz.

Comet entered the life of the Tanner family when his mother gave birth on Uncle Jesse's bed during the third season of the show. The owner let the Tanners pick one dog from the litter and young Michelle (Olsen twins) chose Comet. Over the years, Comet remained a beloved member of the Tanner clan, even when he ran away and the family searched the streets of San Francisco -- hitting all the traditional tourist attractions -- before the dog returned home.

This was a popular children's series during the mid-to-late-1950s, featuring German shepherd Rin Tin Tin. He and trusty child sidekick Rusty, helped the soldiers of the U.S. Cavalry make sure all was well in the American West. While most of the dogs on this list are loyal, perhaps none more than Rin Tin Tin, who was always there to help while also providing some needed companionship to Rusty.

A chick and a duck were not the ideal pets to house in a Manhattan apartment. Then again, Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) were a little out there in terms of the traditional roommate dynamic. That said, the birds were like family and usually respected by the others in the group. As far as television sitcom pets go, the pair is highly underrated.

What happens when a 500-year-old witch gets punished for trying to take over world? They get turned into a cat. That's what happened to Salem (Nick Bakay). Though it's not the way he wanted to spend the rest of his time on Earth, Salem seemed to be pretty content hanging with Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) and Co. His wise cracks and sarcasm were a big part of what made this popular ABC series worth watching.

After finishing last in a greyhound race, Santa's Little Helper was left abandoned by his owner. That provided a golden opportunity for Homer and Bart to bring the little guy home for a Christmas with the Simpson family. Since then, the dog has had quite a nice run with the Simpsons. He served as the mascot for Duff Beer and even went through training as a police dog. Not to mention all the litters he's been responsible for over the years.

Whether via his television films that began in the late 1970s to his regular series in the mid-2000s, George has done a great job of bringing his harmless brand of mischief to the masses. An obviously "curious" monkey, George is no stranger to finding himself in the midst of a predicament or driving his guardian, The Man with the Yellow Hat, a little bonkers. But, that's all why we love him. 

Ross' pet monkey early in Friends' run. He had a fancy for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," a song that drove his owner crazy. Perhaps because Marcel was able to work the CD player himself. Marcel also was not above a little mischief. He was known to poop in shoes, leave the apartment building and once swallowed a Scrabble tile. In the end, Marcel became a big Hollywood star, but never forgot his buddy Ross.

When living in the Stone Age, it apparently makes sense to have a dinosaur as the family pet. Dino was a rambunctious household pet who acted more like a dog, but was quite friendly. He also got really excited just about every time Fred came home from work. Dino would make an immediate run to his master, and ultimately knocking him over. Though the often hot-headed Fred normally appreciated the love.

Tiger was the family dog of Mike Brady (Robert Reed) and his three boys, and ultimately became the family pet when Carol (Florence Henderson) and her three girls joined the mix. Tiger was not a bad dog, but did cause some trouble. He was pretty much responsible for knocking down the competitive card tower and stole Kitty Carryall. Jan was allergic to his flea powder and he sent the family into a panic when he ran away to knock up a neighbor dog.

Brian is not your typical household pet. He's somewhat college educated, smokes, drinks and dates human females. He also once enjoyed a successful career as an adult film director. Brian might be the most mature member of the Griffin family, but he also thinks he's better than everybody else, which usually ends when young Stewie brings him down a notch from that high horse. 

Not every kid growing up can have a pet dolphin. Sandy and Bud Ricks were quite the lucky children to have such a pet to pal around with. That's because their father, Porter Ricks, was Chief Warden at Coral Key Park and Marine Preserve. Flipper was quite the character and totally playful. He also had a hand in solving capers, completing rescues and keeping ne'er-do-wells from disrupting their rather serene lives.

Mr. Ed is quite the troublemaker. Although it's harmless fun, he likes to leave owner Wilbur (Alan Young) in mind. A true television legend -- animal or human, Mr. Ed was a talking horse that only Wilbur could apparently hear. That was part of the fun, and a running storyline that left the other characters on the show wondering if Wilbur had a few marbles loose. Ed and friends ran for five seasons on CBS during the 1960s.

The pet pig of Fred and Doris Ziffel -- good friends of Oliver and Lisa Douglas. Arnold was treated like a child by his owners -- or "parents." Arnold was regularly pampered by the couple and lived inside their house. He enjoyed watching television, and was particularly fond of old western films. Arnold even attended school, which is still baffling to this day considering he was able to sign his name.

"Scooby-Dooby-Doo!" We've all heard that time and time again. When it comes to animated animals -- or any type of character for that matter -- Scooby is a Hall-of-Famer. The trusty companion to the goofy Shaggy, Scooby proves rather invaluable as a friend and an amateur sleuth. Helping solve capers, bust up crimes or take down other bad guys. All with the reward of an enticing "Scooby Snack" at the other end.

One of the most iconic animated characters/pets of all time. Snoopy was a loyal companion to Charlie Brown, even if he played and riled his buddy often, and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Snoopy apparently was at first Peppermint Patty's dog, but became lock-step with Charlie. First introduced to the world in 1950, Snoopy has a wild imagination, especially when picturing himself taking on the "Red Baron."

Whether with Jeff and the Miller family or Timmy and the Martins, Lassie, a Rough Collie, was there to protect and comfort her masters on a show that began in the 1950s and ran into the '70s. Sure, those boys often found themselves in trouble -- good and bad, but Lassie was always there to save day and make everything right. Though it's saying a lot, Lassie just might be the most beloved television animal of all time.