WE’VE seen it in Disney movies—the little boy with the big, gentle, faithful dog romping with him through the woods, comes when he’s called, and protects the child from harm. The fact is, it can happen, but there are many things the movie doesn’t show you—like who picks up the dog’s poop, or who has to walk or bathe him, or what happens when he throws up or tears up Mommy’s sofa.

That’s when it’s important to know that a pet is not just a cute thing to bring home, cuddle, and put away in a cage, but a tremendous responsibility. “Like I always tell kids who want pets, if you own something, you have to be responsible for it,” says noted veterinarian Nielsen Donato. “But the parent also has to be getting the pet for the right reasons. It’s a living thing, not an object.” With due diligence and the right attitude in a child and his parents, a pet can be an ideal companion for a youngster, and can help make a child more responsible, humane, and loving. Take it from these parents who count animals as part of their brood, with their kids becoming better people because of it.

Growing up with animals

As the oldest child of a famous veterinarian, Cedrick Donato, a 13-year-old high-school freshman at La Salle Greenhills, grew up in a veritable zoo. That’s because aside from treating dogs, his dad, Dr. Nielsen Donato, is the doctor of choice for many exotic critters. “It was always interesting to go to our house,” says Cedrick, who grew up with a menagerie of animals, most notably the family’s late and much-missed black Labrador, Veda, who was Cedrick’s age and passed away only last year.

Cedrick’s younger sister Nina, 4, was similarly born into a household that now includes Cody, a Pomeranian; Bohol, a Greyhound puppy; Motombo, a massive English Mastiff; and a cat named Tiger.

Before his father had a clinic, some animals were confined in their house. That was how Cedrick met his first Siberian Husky. “The dog was with us for five days, and he really liked the breed,” recalls his dad Nielsen. One day, a client who bred Huskies offered the family a dog, who had to be given away because he couldn’t sire pups. That’s how Cloud came into the picture two years ago. “That dog was assigned to him,” says Cedrick’s mom, Carol. “He’s really responsible anyway, but the dog made him even more so.”

Cedrick had to learn to walk Cloud, supervise his meals, and remind his dad when the dog needed shots or medication. “When you take care of dogs, you become time-conscious,” Cedrick says. “I would get worried that I might forget to feed my dog.”

Nowadays, however, because schoolwork takes up a lot of Cedrick’s time and there’s limited space in the Donatos’ Mandaluyong home, Cloud has been temporarily relocated to the wildlife rescue center Nielsen owns and operates in Calamba, Laguna, where the family spends their weekends. “Weekends are the only time now that he can bond with Cloud,” observes Nielsen. “In reality, we know that children can’t really take care of pets by themselves when they’re very young because of school. But there’s no reason they can’t make a dog their buddy or their pal. The best reason we have for getting a pet for a child is to teach him responsibility, and it works.”

Not afraid, not ‘maarte’

Chabby Hortaleza, a freelance interior designer and wife to Nestlé Philippines executive Peter, also grew up with animals. Her mother had Cocker Spaniels, and her younger sister Marga became a veterinarian herself. Thus, when she started her own family, it was only natural that pets would be part of it. “I can’t live without animals!” Chabby says.

Her son Pippen, 7, a bright Ateneo first grader, and daughter Anike, 3, soon to be in preschool, are amazingly comfortable around the current brood, composed of Bibby, a 5-year-old Boxer; Botbot, a sociable 2-year-old French Bulldog; and a rather temperamental 7-year-old cat named Squirrel. “In fact, when Pippen was born, I also had a black Labrador named Champoy, who also had puppies,” Chabby recounts. “So I was taking care of my baby and her babies at the same time.”

Chabby has never been afraid to let her kids play with pets. “The more exposed they are, the better. I think children can outgrow their allergies.”

The Hortaleza kids know that walking the dogs and helping feed and bathe them are shared responsibilities; tiny Anike can hold a dog on a leash with confidence, sometimes pulling Botbot gently along when she’s on her bike. Pippen, meanwhile, sleeps with Squirrel, but helps with the scrubbing and hosing when it’s bath time for the dogs, and can be relied on to cover up any accidents with newspaper. “Botbot is Mommy’s baby, so he’s part of the family,” Pippen states matter-of-factly, as Anike plays tug-of-war with Botbot over a frisbee. “A pet is someone who can play with you and accompany you. So you have to take care of him.”

“Because they’re used to animals, I find that my kids are less scared, not afraid to explore and to get dirty,” says Chabby. “They’re independent, and not so clingy and maarte.” They’ve also learned from experience that animals must be respected because they have personalities of their own. “Pippen has been scratched by Squirrel and bitten by his lola’s dog, so he knows enough to be cautious,” Chabby says. “But he hasn’t been traumatized at all.”

The respect spills over to other living things; the kids avoid ants instead of stomping them dead, and on a recent trip to the beach, Pippen collected a bunch of hermit crabs with his father, but returned them to the sea at the end of the day because “they won’t survive if I take them.” Asked how they feel about people who are mean to dogs, both kids grimace and reply in chorus: “Grrrrrrr.”

All in the family

Caring for Ginger, a 4-month-old male yellow Labrador, is also a shared responsibility for the Paras family of Magalang, Pampanga. Mom Tere Paras is executive director of the Office of University Relations of the Angeles University Foundation and executive assistant to the university chancellor, while dad Nath is manager of the Allied Bank branch in San Fernando. Their only child, Andrei, 9, is in third grade at Holy Family Academy in Angeles.

Although they got Ginger at Nath’s initiative, and he takes care of walking the dog, it’s Andrei who’s benefiting most from having a new companion. “We observed that since we got Ginger, Andrei became more compassionate, protective and responsible,” Tere says. “Being an only child, Andrei doesn’t have the chance to take care of siblings. Through Ginger, we’ve given him the opportunity to develop his sense of responsibility. Experiencing a dog’s unconditional love is also a good way to teach Andrei the values of loyalty and concern for others.”

“I wanted to have a playmate,” Andrei seconds, “because I don’t have a brother or sister, and my cousins live far, so I usually play alone. I also have two goldfishes, Dyesebel and Frodo, and I feed them and clean their aquarium. But playing with Ginger is different.” Andrei always spends some time playing with Ginger before leaving for school, and right after he comes home.

In fact, playtime with the gregarious puppy and attending to his needs is the family’s bonding time, says Tere. Andrei is now in charge of giving Ginger his vitamins and food, helps bathe him and clean his ears, and always tags along when the pup is taken to the vet. “Ginger was born July 10, 2008, while I was born July 8, 1999,” says Andrei. “Next year, we can celebrate our birthdays together.”

Not just thinking of himself

Even the most seemingly well-rounded kids can still learn a thing or two from animals. Consider the case of Michael Barbosa, a 10-year-old fourth grader at the University of the Philippines (UP) Integrated School. A young achiever, Michael is a math whiz and a bemedaled ice skater who has been representing the Philippines in international competitions since he was nine.

Mom Rhea Reyes Barbosa, an administrative assistant at UP College of Home Economics, got a definite idea of Michael’s fondness for animals when he was seven. On the way home from school, he insisted that they pick up two abandoned kittens and take them home. “He told me, ‘We can’t just leave them to die,’” recalls Rhea, who raised Michael as a virtual single mom while his father worked as seaman. But die they eventually did, and Michael mourned the kittens for days.

For his 10th birthday last April, he begged his mother for a pet. “Since I don’t approve of commercial dog breeding, I suggested that we adopt a dog from the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS),” So from PAWS, he took home Chubby, a feisty white rescued “asPin” (asong Pinoy).

Because Rhea and Michael stay in the UP campus during the week, Chubby lives with Rhea’s parents, José and Emilia Reyes, in Pasig, and the boy can’t wait to get home to see his dog on weekends. “He also got money for his birthday, and he used it to buy Chubby shampoo, a collar, and a leash.” From all indications, the entire family dotes on Chubby, but it’s Michael who has been changed the most, becoming “happier and more mature,” says Rhea. “He learned that a dog has to be taken care of. He learned to share; now he always saves some of his food to bring home to Chubby.”

As an only child, Michael was used to being the family baby and the “king of the world,” as Rhea puts it, especially for his mother. “Suddenly he realized there’s somebody else I have to take care of, and it’s not only about him all the time. He has become less possessive of me and my attention.”

“My best friend—just like man’s best friend,” Michael answers when asked what Chubby is to him. “I have best friends in school, but now I have another one.”

And the most important thing Michael has learned from his pet? “I’ve learned to not just think of myself all the time,” he says, adding that he wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up.