Disney movies are an integral part of most American children's formative years — so it's no wonder that they shape the adult humans we become. We owe a big thank you to Walt Disney and his successors for turning us into forever animal lovers. Here are 16 ways Disney movies turned us all into animal lovers for life.
1. They taught us that literally any animal is basically a dog if you love it enough.
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2. They showed us that any two animals can be best friends, no matter how different they are and that’s aspirational AF.
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3. Every animal in Disney movies is smart and emotionally complex, which totally shaped the way we looked at our own pets from basically the moment we could crawl.
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4. They taught us how important it is to adopt.
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5. We learned all about animal cruelty and how much we hated it and that everyone who hates animals looks like this on the inside:
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6. We learned that animated cuteness is *almost* as good as IRL cuteness.
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7. They showed us how talented animals can be.
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8. We also learned about ~true love~ thanks to Disney animals.
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9. Disney animals taught us that it’s okay to cry in public.
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10. And that animals getting hurt will ALWAYS make us cry.
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11. They also showed us that animals are probably better at running a society than we are.
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12. They taught us that even the smallest animals can be mighty.
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13. And smart. Animals can be VERY smart.
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14. Disney showed us that animal sidekicks can really come in handy.
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15. Sometimes animals are literally your magical guardian (and even if they’re not *really* they can feel like it IRL).
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16. And even if there’s no magic involved, a pet is always your best friend.
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Main image credit: Disney