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1%% This image was chosen in an Image Pickin' thread, please don't replace it without starting a new thread.%%
2[[quoteright:350:[[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nazis_with_kittens_5152.jpg]]]]
3[[caption-width-right:350:''[[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Blitzkrieg]] can vait; it is time to [[CutenessProximity pet ze kitty!]]'']]
4
5->''"We eat our prey alive, and when we don't, we lay our eggs in their eyeball so that our young can feast on their brains when they hatch. When you're born that big an asshole, the least you can do is have a little empathy. Now come have dinner with me and my beautiful family."''
6-->-- '''Wasp Rick''', ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty''
7
8Showing the villain (or AntiHero) engaging in a moment of kindness, especially towards someone who can't repay them, as a way to humanize or soften them. May or may not involve an actual dog.
9
10This is a screenwriting term: put in a scene where the nasty old crank pets a dog and the audience will think, "Aw shucks, [[RuleOfEmpathy he's not so bad.]]" Often used to demonstrate that a {{Jerkass}} is really a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, or, if more limited, that the character is goal-oriented rather than sadistic and/or [[ForTheEvulz evil for evil's sake]]. If used as an EstablishingCharacterMoment, it marks the character as "not too evil" right off the bat, whatever they might do later.
11
12{{Sub Trope}}s include EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas, VillainousParentalInstinct, MoralityPet (a villain's entire relationship with a particular character is one long dog-petting session), AFriendInNeed, and AndroclesLion (the dog later aids the villain as a reward for their kindness). Compare LickedByTheDog, where the innocent character shows kindness to the villain.
13
14If you want to pet dogs while keeping your villain credentials intact, try [[AnonymousBenefactor doing it anonymously]], [[IWasJustPassingThrough doing it but denying any benevolent intention]], or [[EvenEvilHasStandards doing it because you only kick PEOPLE, not dogs]]. Demonstrating MoralMyopia could also work (if the people you favor aren't evil).
15
16Compare GoodnessExam, when a villain is asked to do something good to prove their moral affiliation. Contrast KickTheDog (doing something evil to establish an evil personality, with many, many villains having both), PhotoOpWithTheDog (where it's all an act for the good publicity), MustMakeAmends (when a character tries to undo or atone for having [[ShootTheDog Shot The Dog]]) and BaitTheDog (when a moment like this is set up and then darkly {{subverted}}). May overlap with OutOfCharacterMoment if the villain shows [[UnexpectedKindness kindness for no apparent reason]]. It could serve to show CracksInTheIcyFacade.
17
18In modern Hollywood circles, this is also referred to as "save the cat", with the idea being that if you show your hero stopping to save a [[CatUpATree cat stuck in a tree]] as his EstablishingCharacterMoment, you're putting the audience on his side forever.
19----
20!!Example subpages:
21[[index]]
22* PetTheDog/AnimeAndManga
23* PetTheDog/ComicBooks
24* PetTheDog/ComicStrips
25* PetTheDog/FanWorks
26* [[PetTheDog/AnimatedFilms Films — Animated]]
27* [[PetTheDog/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
28* PetTheDog/{{Literature}}
29* PetTheDog/LiveActionTV
30* PetTheDog/{{Theatre}}
31* PetTheDog/VideoGames
32* PetTheDog/{{Webcomics}}
33* PetTheDog/WebOriginal
34* PetTheDog/WesternAnimation
35[[/index]]
36
37!!Other examples:
38[[foldercontrol]]
39
40[[folder:Advertising]]
41* Ads: Credit card companies love this trope, and know how to use it very effectively.
42** Capitol One: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosTIwbFjzM Warkittens.]]
43** Mastercard: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcwqkEtn20&NR=1 Badger and the Biker.]]
44[[/folder]]
45
46[[folder:Asian Animation]]
47* ''Animation/BreadBarbershop'': "Potato Chip and Sausage" gives Chip the sympathy spotlight. He wins TeamPet Sausage in a bet with Bread and initially treats him like a lowly servant, but gradually warms up to him after seeing how capable he is and even starts viewing him as a friend. Ultimately, he [[spoiler:decides to return Sausage to Bread's Barbershop after seeing him worry about a grief-stricken Wilk]].
48[[/folder]]
49
50[[folder:Manhua]]
51* In ''Manhua/GoddessCreationSystem'' Xiaxi recognizes that her behavior is rather cruel when viewed from outside, even if it's a matter of life or death for her. So she goes out of her way to do small acts of kindness that have no direct benefit to her like comforting a crying child by telling the story of the Ugly Duckling or [[spoiler:helping one of Mingyi's concubines escape by allowing herself to be whipped heavily.]]
52[[/folder]]
53
54[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
55* ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}'': The ambitious and antagonistic [[BigBad Duryodhana]] is shown to be both a strong and noble ruler in the Pandavas' absence, and very personable with those close to him. One story accounts how his [[TheDragon Dragon]] Karna ended up in a [[NotWhatItLooksLike precarious position]] with Duryodhana's wife Bhanumati. Her pearl necklace is scattered around the room because Karna grabbed it by accident while reaching for Bhanumati's shoulder as she stood up from hearing her husband coming, while the two were in the middle of a boardgame. Instead of flying into a rage when he enters, Duryodhana bends down and begins collecting the pearls because he knew neither his wife nor his friend Karna would never engage in that sort of behavior.
56--> '''Duryodhana:''' "Do you want me to just pick up the pearls, or should I string them together as well?"
57* Myth/AztecMythology: The god Tezcatlipoca was the resident ManipulativeBastard, directly responsible for ''three'' [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt apocalypses]] and involved in a fourth, and the god of darkness, magic, chaos, rulership, and slaves. However, in this case, "God of Slaves" means "[[PapaWolf if you mistreat your slaves, prepare for a world of hurt]]."
58* Myth/ClassicalMythology:
59** Hera is infamous for cruelly tormenting Zeus' mistresses (even the unwilling ones) and his illegitimate children, but there are a few stories where she has a good day, like when she allowed Alcyone to be reunited with her deceased husband Ceyx by transforming them into kingfishers.
60** Zeus was an immense jerkass with a tendency to cheat on Hera, but he also had kind gestures. In the tale of Eros and Psyche, when Aphrodite is attempting to get Psyche killed with four tasks, Zeus intervenes on the third task, sending an eagle down to the abyss to beat up the monsters and retrieve the goblet for her. Later on, he even intervenes when Eros breaks out of Aphrodite's captivity to bring the dying Psyche to him for marriage. Zeus declares the marriage official despite Aphrodite's protests, and Psyche is brought BackFromTheDead as the Goddess of the Human Spirit.
61** Apollo was almost as bad as his father, but he also had several moments of petting the dog with friends and family.
62*** When punished to live as a mortal for a year for killing the Python (or, in some versions, several Cyclops), Apollo became Admetus' herdsman and made all his cows (or ewes) birth twins, which was quite a boon for a king at the time. Apollo also helped Admetus win the hand of his wife, Alcestis, by completing the near-impossible task put forth by her father, Pelias (yoking a lion and a boar to a chariot). When Admetus forgot to sacrifice to Artemis during the wedding, Apollo soothed his sister's anger. Apollo also got the Fates drunk and made them promise that should another die willingly in his place, Admetus would avoid the day of his death. Unfortunately, Alcestis died for Admetus. Fortunately, Heracles was in the area and wrestled Thanatos for Alcestis's soul.
63*** When Orestes fulfilled Apollo's command to kill his murderous mother Clytemnestra, Apollo tried to protect him from the vengeful Furies. Orestes ended up being prosecuted in Athens, and Apollo's speaking up for him helped him get acquitted.
64*** He gave his lover Cyparissus a tame deer as a pet, and when Cyparissus accidentally killed it, he asked Apollo to let his tears fall forever out of sorrow. Apollo granted the request by turning him into the first Cypress tree.
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:New Media]]
68* The *chan boards, of all places, has this in the concept of the UsefulNotes/MSPaint relationship thread. See [[http://www.paintchan.com/relationships/ here]] for examples.
69** Furthermore, the channel on 4chan known as /r9k/, a board originally developed with a filter that blocks unoriginal text or images, has (d)evolved to embody the UsefulNotes/MSPaint relationship thread, becoming the unofficial place to ask questions, share or complain about relationships. Many believe that it needs to be cauterized.
70** [[http://www.inquisitr.com/18170/4chan-b-goes-after-cat-abusers-wins/ 4chan saves a cat.]]
71** Their love for cats seems to have developed into a [[http://i42.tinypic.com/119xuzq.jpg general consensus.]]
72** And they stand up to Scientology, although that may be EvenEvilHasStandards.
73** Recently. someone posted a picture of himself standing in lettuce containers at a Burger King. Rather than laughing, the members of 4chan instead said DudeNotFunny, tracked down the Burger King where this was taken, contacted the manager, local health department, and the media. This resulted in the person getting fired.
74* Website/SomethingAwful may proudly be ([[VillainDecay or at least used to be]]) some of the greatest jerks on the internet, but often remark that new members can get lost in Pet Island.
75* On Encyclopedia Dramatica, often described as some kind of haven for trolls, the talk pages are quite civil, oftentimes even polite -- moreso than those of Website/TheOtherWiki.
76[[/folder]]
77
78[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
79* Wrestling/TheFabulousMoolah doesn't have a flowery reputation, in or out of the ring, publicly or behind the scenes. She was thought to be rotten and told anyone who would listen her main motivation was money. So her jobbing to give Panther Girl Anne Casey the USA Women's Title belt, Anne Casey who earlier that year had been shot multiple times and was thought to be out of wrestling permanently as a result, it was definitely a case of this.
80* When he was not tearing people's faces open with his teeth or stealing {{mask|edluchador}}s, Perro Aguayo Jr. could often be found playing with dogs.
81* Wrestling/CMPunk voluntarily excused Wrestling/ColtCabana from their Wrestling/RingOfHonor TagTeam title defense at ''Survival Of The Fittest'', voluntarily taking on The Outkast Killaz, The Ringcrew Express and Special K by himself so that Cabana would have a better shot at winning the titular "Survival Of The Fittest'' {{tournament|arc}}. Before this, Punk would become visibly angry with Cabana's silliness and Colt at times seemed to follow him more out of fear than friendship, so it was nice to see Punk really did care for him on some level.
82* Shigeo Okumura is best known for his campaigns against Mexican luchadors in Wrestling/{{CMLL}}, but since he speaks Spanish quite well, the promotion keeps him around despite the trouble he causes to serve as a translator to the Wrestling/{{NJPW}}, REINA and other Japanese talents, which he does faithfully, even for baby {{face}}s like Syuri who aren't on board with his "Anti-Mexico" agenda.
83* Hallowicked was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00HgN6fOMhs&t=2s teamed]] with Australian female wrestler Shazza [=McKenzie=] in a loss to [[Wrestling/{{Kimber Lee}}Princess Kimberlee]] and The Whisper at ''Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} La Loteria Letal 2018'', October 27, 2018. Shazza seemed really happy to be there and to be teaming with a CHIKARA all-timer such as Hallowicked, and, while you can't really read any emotion on Hallowicked's mask, he seemed to have no problem with her. This is quite different from when he referred to the other wrestlers in the Infinite Gauntlet match[[note]]CHIKARA's version of the Wrestling/RoyalRumble, no relation to Smash's charity match[[/note]] as "infidel swine."
84* Wrestling/{{John Bradshaw Layfield}} is most infamously known as a backstage bully, but he considered the late Wrestling/{{Eddie Guerrero}} one of his best friends and responsible for the best matches of his career. During the Eddie tribute show, [=Vince McMahon=] wanted Bradshaw to get a dirty win over Eddie's nephew [[Wrestling/ChavoGuerreroJr Chavo]]. Bradshaw flat out refused, to Vince's face, to do anything besides lose cleanly to Chavo.
85[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Radio]]
88* ''Radio/LoZooDi105'': Santina, the victim of the famous ''"Alan In Love"'' prank call, has been found out to be not particularly wealthy. So the show's crew unanimously agreed to reward her patience with them by donating some money to her.
89[[/folder]]

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