Pets have sometimes experienced fame as living symbols for communities of people. These community pets embody the qualities of the group, and their companionship can provide relief from hard work or danger. Rescue dogs have become important new community pets, especially since their work in the ruins of the World Trade Center in 2001.

Pets belonging to celebrities make them seem more accessible to ordinary people. Americans have been especially interested in the pets belonging to the Presidents and their families.

By the 1920s, movies created modern animal celebrities, whose fame rested on fictional stories and events. Most of these animal stars were dogs, who became the imaginary pets for millions of American children. By the 1930s, animal celebrities began to sell products for family pets, and companies began to create their own “spokes-animals,” including celebrity cats.