The role of pets in supporting children's mental health and well-being has attracted growing attention. Although pets are oftendescribed as emotionally significant companions—offering comfort, security and stability—the effects of pet ownership arenot universally positive or consistent. This scoping review maps existing research on the significance of pets for children'swell-being, particularly those experiencing mental health challenges. Drawing on 20 studies—quantitative, qualitative andmixed-methods—published across diverse cultural contexts, the review identifies three central themes: emotional support andfriendship; responsibility, routine and family; and psychosocial well-being. Findings suggest that the emotional quality of thechild-pet relationship, rather than pet ownership alone, is key to potential benefits such as reduced stress and enhanced resil-ience. The review underscores the importance of context-sensitive understandings of well-being. Pets may be valuable allies inchildren's mental health, but their role should be understood as part of broader social contexts. Contextual factors including age,gender, species of pet and socio-economic environment may influence the outcomes. However, strong reliance on pets can alsoreflect or reinforce social isolation. Limitations include a small evidence base focused largely on high-income countries and alack of studies centring children's own perspectives. Further research is needed to explore how children across varied settingsexperience relationships with pets, and how these connections might inform support strategies in social work and mental healthcare