Pets and people share a very special bond when they grow up together, which is why we’ve compiled a list of pictures of people and their pets growing up and sometimes growing old together.

Because of their shorter lifespans, dogs, cats and other domestic animals tend to grow out of their juvenile forms relatively quickly. In a few months, that cute and doofy puppy that’s tripping all over himself will be galloping between your legs enthusiastically, and in a few months more he or she will be approaching their adult size. Their growing bodies and maturity help put the changes in our own lives into perspective as well. It also helps us appreciate the fact that they spend their lives by our sides as our faithful companions.

Their shorter lifespans also mean that our beloved pets will invariably become a beautiful lesson in both love and loss. Watching your furry childhood friend grow old and die is a harrowing and sorrowful but also natural and potentially enlightening part of life. Of course, that might not be the case for the guy with the tortoise – although their lives are drastically shorter in captivity, a pet that can live for a century or more certainly has a chance to outlive its owner.

So let’s celebrate our pets’ short but loving and meaningful lives by checking out these cool images of them growing up!

5 Months Apart

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10 Years Apart

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Then and Now

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7 Months Apart

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17 Years Apart

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6 Months Apart

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16 Years Apart

Image credits: dogheirs.com

14 Years Apart

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5 Months Apart

The second image of Smoke is 5 months after his owner Donny found him while deployed in Afghanistan!

Image credits: dailymail.co.uk

6 Months Apart

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Then and Now

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3 Months Apart

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Then and Now

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4 Years Apart

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17 Years Apart

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12 Years Apart

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3 Years Apart

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1 Year Apart

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6 Months Apart

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1 Year Apart

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3 Months Apart

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10 Years Apart

Image credits: reddit.com