While animals have occasionally served as antagonists in Stephen King's protagonists get more love. Yet four-legged friends have always had a big part to play.

Even then, when Stephen King animals do get attention, it's because they've become antagonists, like Cujo, the doomed St. Bernard from Cujo, or Pet Sematary's Church the cat. That's why it's long past time that good boys and girls get their due, and are acknowledged for the roles they play as emotional s, pets, protectors, and friends. While this list doesn't get every animal in Stephen King's books, I wanted to highlight the greatest companions in his pages.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Stephen King books listed below.

7 Topsy

The Little Sisters of Eluria

Animals in Stephen King books tend to be of the cat or dog persuasion primarily. That makes the loyal and determined Topsy stand out, even if he only appears in the short story "The Little Sisters of Eluria." The two-year-old roan horse belonging to Roland Deschain wasn't long for the world. Topsy was sick when he entered the story, coughing and wheezing as a young Roland put him through his paces while chasing the Man in Black, and he died shortly thereafter.

Even in death, Topsy saved Roland one last time.

Still, the gunslinger "honored his horse as best he could," making sure to wave the flies away from Topsy's eyes, trying to give his faithful steed that much dignity at the end of his life. Topsy ultimately died just as slow mutants were trying to sneak up on Roland; the horse's sad death turned out to be fortuitous timing, as it alerted the gunslinger to their presence. Even in death, Topsy saved Roland one last time.

6 Horace

Under the Dome

Anyone who follows Stephen King closely knows all about Molly, a.k.a. the Thing of Evil, a.k.a. King's beloved corgi. Despite her moniker, Molly, who turns 11 this year, is a Very Good Girl. It's no wonder that King has managed to immortalize her, sneaking in a corgi character in a few of his books. The most memorable is the corgi Horace, who belonged to Julia Shumway in Under the Dome.

It's impossible not to love a corgi, and that extends to Horace, who is a happy little guy throughout the events of the book. In a really fun twist, a few ages sprinkled throughout the book are told from Horace's point of view, and they are pretty much exactly what you'd expect a corgi's POV to be. Spoilers: he thinks about food. A lot. In other words, it's delightful. Even better, Horace's story is one of the rare cases in a Stephen King story in which the dog neither becomes a villain nor dies.

5 Radar

Fairy Tale

There is no shortage of good puppers in Stephen King books, and that includes the second one on this list, Radar from Fairy Tale. Unlike the diminutive Horace, Radar is a large German Shepherd and a loyal old gal. Unlike most of King's other animal companions, Radar is also crucial to the story, as reversing her declining health is what spurs 17-year-old Charlie Reade to travel to another world in order to claim an artifact that can save her life.

Despite her advanced age and declining health, Radar proves to be a steadfast and brave companion–but then, is there any companion truer than an old dog? What makes Radar so wonderful is that there isn't anything special about her. She's just a normal dog, which makes her the best dog–because, as everyone knows, every dog is the best dog. Her being so close to the end makes Fairy Tale a stressful read for those of us who hate when an animal dies in a story, which makes the relief of Radar's happy ending even more powerful.

4 Azrael

Doctor Sleep

Unlike most of King's other book animals, Azrael the Cat, a.k.a. Azzie, does seemingly have a superpower, and one taken from real-life s. Azzie is a working cat with a job: predicting death. The cat, who belongs to the hospice where a grown-up Dan Torrance works, has an uncanny knack for knowing when a patient is about to die. He'll go into their room and curl up with the patient, providing them with comfort and love in their final hours. For that reason, the residents and staff nickname him "Doctor Sleep" and view him as a benevolent shepherd, and his uncanny ability to bring peace to the dying ties into the larger themes of Doctor Sleep.

Interestingly, Azzie's ability isn't something King just made up out of thin air: he's actually based on a cat named Oscar, who lived in a nursing home in Rhode Island and, like the fictional fluffer, was a therapy cat that predicted when one of the residents would soon die. It's rare to see a cat in a Stephen King work that isn't a malevolent little goblin and is instead entirely benevolent, making Azzie even more special.

3 Mr. Jingles

The Green Mile

Sometimes, the tiniest creatures can have the biggest impact, and that's certainly the case with the little mouse, Mr. Jingles, in The Green Mile. Mr. Jingles is a small spot of light in the otherwise dreary existence of the death row inmates waiting to die in Cold Mountain Penitentiary in The Green Mile. Mr. Jingles is kept by Eduard "Del" Delacroix, who even teaches the clever little mouse tricks, to the delight of everyone, even the prison guards.

The beauty of Mr. Jingles is what he symbolizes in The Green Mile: hope. Mr. Jingles is such a fragile, innocent creature with an extraordinary ability to inspire hope in those who see him, just like gentle giant John Coffey. It's what makes Mr. Jingles' senseless, violent death under the boot of Percy Wetmore so horrifying. That moment establishes Percy as one of Stephen King's most loathsome villains, human or otherwise. But it's also what makes Mr. Jingles' second chance at life and resurrection by Coffey such an emotional moment. Who knew a little mouse could inspire so many tears of pain and joy?

2 Kojack

The Stand

The last good doggo on this list, and in second place, is Kojack from The Stand. The Irish setter, then named Big Steve, had a happy life living in Woodsville, New Hampshire with his unnamed original owner, but Captain Trips upended his life. When his owner is killed by the superflu, neighbor Glen Bateman adopts the pup and renames him Kojack. From then on, they have an endearing relationship. The retired professor is always jokingly scolding Kojack for his dog behavior, exhorting the exuberant Irish setter to have some self-control and to rise above his baser canine instincts. Kojack, of course, happily ignores all of this, because he is a dog.

In both miniseries adaptations of The Stand, Kojack has been portrayed not by an Irish setter, but by a golden retriever mix.

Soon after Glen adopts him, Kojack proves his loyalty and determination are unwavering. When Stu asks the old professor to travel with him to Boulder, Glen decides that the most humane thing he can do is turn the dog loose in Woodsville, believing he will have a better chance of surviving there than making the trip west. He's humbled and overwhelmed with guilt when Kojack follows him anyway, showing up in Boulder emaciated and terribly injured, but determined to get to his new master.

Even though he's a happy boy, Kojack's ferocity shines through in a flashback sequence that explains how he tracked Glen all the way across the country to Nebraska. At that point, he is set upon by wolves sent by Randall Flagg, but the Irish setter fights them off and drags himself the rest of the way to Boulder, though he almost dies in the process. Later, when Stu Redman breaks his leg on their way to Las Vegas for the final showdown against Flagg, Kojak chooses to let Glen go and stay with Stu, guarding him and hunting small game, which ultimately saves Stu's life. Kojack is proof of the old adage: We do not deserve dogs.

1 Oy

The Dark Tower Series

Last, but not least, and in first place on the list of Stephen King's best animal companions: could there be any other choice but Oy? Stephen King's books are filled with clever animals, but none are so clever as Oy. The smart little billy-bumbler first appears in The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands, shyly approaching Roland's new ka-tet as they camp out on their way to the city of Lud, encouraged to come closer by Jake Chambers.

Far from being a mere pet or added baggage, Oy grows into a true member of the ka-tet, woven together with the fates of the others in the group just as strongly as any of the humans. Throughout the Dark Tower series, Oy shows how clever and resourceful he is, revealing a gift for mimicry and an ability to count. Over time, the little creature's intelligence grows, allowing him to understand and speak more complicated words, as well as learn complex routines. Oy even shows flashes of the Touch and develops a telepathic bond with Jake.

In Roland's world, it's called the Touch. In our world, it's called the Shine, an ability several Stephen King characters have possessed in his books.

While Oy is loyal to and loves all the of the ka-tet, he is the most fiercely protective of and loyal to Jake, once saving the boy from the clutches of the Tick Tock man by hurling himself at the thug and marring his face. It's not the last time the brave billy-bumbler shows how much he loves his found family of humans. In the end, Oy sacrifices his life to save Roland from Mordred Deschain, and what's more, he knew his gruesome death was coming – he'd foreseen it, and he went with Roland anyway.

What gets us about the billy-bumbler, and what breaks our hearts every time, is the degree of emotional intelligence and empathy the little billy-bumbler shows throughout. Even in his dying moments, he licks Roland's hand to show him he doesn't blame the gunslinger for his death, saying Roland's name as best he can: "Olan." When Jake dies to save the meta in-universe version of Stephen King, Oy is inconsolable as he comforts the dying boy by licking his friend's face clean of blood and dirt. It's then that the rest of the ka-tet learn that billy-bumblers can cry.

Whether "Bye, Jake," or "I ache," it amounts to the same heartbreak.

None of us will ever get over Oy's final words to Jake as he's led away from Jake's grave: "I, Ake." Whether "Bye, Jake," or "I ache," it amounts to the same heartbreak. Roland's eulogy to Oy as he buries his faithful and true companion, the last of the ka-tet, is simple and fitting: "The body was far smaller than the heart it had held." That I'm crying all over again as I type this is exactly why Oy, Oy the Brave, is the best Stephen King has ever penned.