The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) believes that teaching children how to care for a pet is an invaluable experience that can help kids develop much needed social skills and help them learn how to treat others nicely. The AACAP offers the following guidelines and advice to parents and guardians: children under the age of four should be monitored with pets at all times; children under ten are unable to care for large animals by themselves; parents must always oversee the pet’s care, regardless of the child’s age; and if a child neglects the pet, parents must take over or find a new home for the animal.

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, June 2019