View source for Pet Rock

{{Short description|Collectible toy}}
{{About|the rock|the music album|Pet Rock (album){{!}}''Pet Rock'' (album)}}
{{Infobox toy
| name = Pet Rock
| image = PetRock Box.jpg
| image_upright = 
| alt = 
| caption = The Pet Rock "Pet Carrier", which doubled as its packaging
| othernames = 
| type = Collectible [[toy]]
| inventor = [[Gary Dahl (entrepreneur)|Gary Dahl]]
| company = 
| country = United States
| from = 1975
| to = present
| materials = [[Rock (geology)|Rock]]
| features = 
| slogan = 
| website = 
}}

'''Pet Rock''' is a collectible [[toy]] made in 1975 by [[advertising]] executive [[Gary Dahl (entrepreneur)|Gary Dahl]]. They are [[Rock (geology)|rocks]] packaged in custom cardboard boxes<ref name="LATobit"/> complete with ventilation holes and straw [[bedding (animals)|bedding]] imitating a [[pet carrier]].<ref name="bathroom" />

== History ==
[[Gary Dahl (entrepreneur)|Gary Dahl]] came up with the idea in a bar while listening to his friends complain about their pets; this gave him the idea for the perfect "pet": a rock.<ref name="bathroom">{{cite book |editor= Bathroom Reader's Institution |title= Uncle John's Legendary Lost Bathroom Reader |publisher= Portable Press |isbn= 1-879682-74-5 |page= 373 |chapter= The Latest Thing |date= September 1999}}</ref> A rock would not need to be fed, walked, bathed, or groomed, and it would not die, become sick, or be disobedient. Dahl said that they were to be the perfect pets and joked about it with his friends before producing Pet Rocks as toys in 1975.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://www.virtualpet.com/vp/farm/petrock/petrock.htm|title= Pet Rocks |encyclopedia= Encyclopedia of POP Culture |publisher= Harper Perennial Press |year= 1992 |author= Jane and Michael Stern|access-date= 2015-07-18}}</ref>

Lacking the capital to launch the product, Dahl convinced some colleagues to invest in it.<ref name=RetFan11>{{cite magazine |last=Eury |first=Michael |date=November 2020 |url=https://retrofan.org/ |title=The Pet Rock |magazine=RetroFan |issue=11 |page=10}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2025}} He purchased the actual rocks from Mexican beaches for less than a penny each.<ref name=RetFan11/>

The Pet Rock was introduced in August 1975 at a [[San Francisco]] trade show, and Dahl was then swarmed by orders from retailers.<ref name=RetFan11/> The [[fad]] lasted about six months, ending after a short increase in sales during the Christmas season of December 1975. Although by February 1976 they were discounted due to lower sales,{{cn|date=March 2025}} Dahl sold nearly 1.5 million Pet Rocks for just under $4 each during the initial release, turning 95 cents profit on each unit,<ref name=RetFan11/> and became a millionaire.<ref name=ap19770207>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VhBXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=V0MNAAAAIBAJ&pg=4238%2C2999792 | title=Pet rock millionaire offers a new method to getting stoned | work=The Miami News | date=1977-02-07 | agency=Associated Press | access-date=December 18, 2011 | pages=2A}}</ref><ref name="mj19881115">{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TG8aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1SoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4700%2C7130376 | title=Between Pet Rock and a hard place | work=The Milwaukee Journal | date=1988-11-15 | access-date=December 18, 2011 | pages=2A}}</ref><ref name="HD70">{{cite book|last=Olson|first=James Stuart|title=Historical Dictionary of the 1970s|url=https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00olso_0|url-access=registration|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1999|page=[https://archive.org/details/historicaldictio00olso_0/page/284 284]| isbn=9780313305436 }}</ref>

In 2022, the toy company Super Impulse purchased the rights to the Pet Rock, reviving the brand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rousseau |first=Vivian |date=2022-10-07 |title=Super Impulse Earns Official Rights to 20th Century Favorite 'Pet Rock' |url=https://toybook.com/super-impulse-pet-rock-comeback/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=The Toy Book |language=en-US}}</ref> In the 2020s, Pet Rocks grew in popularity in [[South Korea]] as tools for meditation or venting out frustrations. Members of K-pop groups such as [[Seventeen (South Korean band)|Seventeen]] and [[Enhypen]] post about their Pet Rocks online.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sohn |first=Jiyoung |date=17 March 2024 |title=Overworked South Koreans Unwind With Pet Rocks—'Like Talking to Your Dog' |url=https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/pet-rocks-south-korea-relaxation-c8a595a7 |website=[[Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref>

[[A24]] produced an official licensed Pet Rock as a [[tie-in]] for the film ''[[Everything Everywhere All at Once]].'' This version of the Pet Rock has a pair of [[googly eyes]] attached in reference to a scene from that film. Also included are the straw bedding and instructions of the original, and a new version of the ventilated box printed with scenery from the film.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://collider.com/a24-pet-rock-everything-everywhere-all-at-once/ | title=A24 is Selling a Pet Rock from 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' to Celebrate Oscar Nominations | website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] | date=25 January 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbr.com/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-rock-buy-a24/ | title=Everything Everywhere All at Once Fans Can Now Own an Official A24 Pet Rock | date=26 January 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-pet-rock-a24/ | title=Everything Everywhere All at Once Now Selling Official Pet Rocks | date=26 January 2023 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
The Pet Rock has had a lasting impact on popular culture. The character [[Zoe (Sesame Street)|Zoe]] from ''[[Sesame Street]]'' owns a pet rock called Rocco. A video of [[Elmo]] from ''Sesame Street'' shouting at Rocco went viral in early 2022.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/elmos-feud-pet-rock-consumed-internet-rcna11150 | title=Elmo's feud with a pet rock has consumed the internet | website=[[NBC News]] | date=7 January 2022 }}</ref>

In the film ''[[Minions: The Rise of Gru]]'', the character [[Minions (Despicable Me)|Otto]] acquires a Pet Rock. He trades the [[Birthstone|zodiac stone]] for it, an integral point of the plot.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/minions-the-rise-of-gru-movie-review-2022 | title=Minions: The Rise of Gru movie review (2022) &#124; Roger Ebert }}</ref> To promote the film, Sabec Limited released an official Pet Rock video game for [[Nintendo Switch]].<ref>{{cite web | author1=Rawmeatcowboy | url=https://gonintendo.com/contents/6394-pet-rock-now-available-on-switch | title=Pet Rock now available on Switch | work=GoNintendo | date=14 July 2022 }}</ref> A [[Funko Pop]] depicting Otto with his Pet Rock was also released.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-28 |title=Exclusive: Funko Announces New Line of Bitty Pops! Inspired By Despicable Me's Lovable Minions |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/funko-announces-despicable-me-minions-bitty-pops-line-exclusive |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=SYFY Official Site |language=en-US}}</ref>

The video game ''[[Magic: The Gathering Arena]]'' features a Pet Rock named Dwayne.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fink |first=Zachary |date=2024-03-31 |title=MTG Players Amused by April Fool's Additions to Arena! |url=https://mtgrocks.com/mtg-players-amused-by-april-fools-additions-to-arena/ |access-date=2024-07-26 |website=MTG Rocks |language=en-US}}</ref>

During the travels of the [[Perseverance (rover)|Perseverance]] rover on Mars, [[NASA]] scientists had observed around [[Mars sol|Sol]] 341 (February 4, 2022) that a small rock had dropped into one of its wheels. The rock was visible from one of the hazard avoidance cameras, and was determined not to be harmful to the rover's mission. The rock has since stayed on ''Perseverance''{{'}}s wheel for around 427 sols (439 days) as the rover traveled over {{convert|6|mi|km}} on the Martian surface. NASA deemed that ''Perseverance'' had adopted a pet rock for its journey.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/384/perseverance-has-a-pet-rock/ | title = Perseverance Has a Pet Rock! | first = Eleni | last = Ravanis | date = June 2, 2022 | accessdate = June 10, 2022 | publisher = [[NASA]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/09/world/perseverance-pet-rock-mars-scn/index.html | title = Perseverance rover has made a friend on Mars | first = Megan |last = Marples | date = June 9, 2022 | accessdate = June 10, 2022 | work = [[CNN]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/nasas-perseverance-rover-loses-its-hitchhiking-pet-rock-after-more-than-a-year-together-on-mars | title = NASA's Perseverance rover loses its hitchhiking 'pet rock' after more than a year together on Mars | first = Harry | last = Baker | date = April 24, 2023 | accessdate = August 29, 2024 | publisher = [[Live Science]]}}</ref> Later the rover picked up another pet rock named "Dwayne".<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandakooser/2024/06/01/nasa-mars-rover-picks-up-pet-rock-named-dwayne/ | title = NASA Mars Rover Picks Up Pet Rock Named 'Dwayne' | first = Amanda | last = Kooser | date = June 1, 2024 | accessdate = August 29, 2024 | work = [[Forbes]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Fidget spinner]]
* [[Worry stone]]
* [[Fidget Cube]]
* [[Labubu]]
* [[Office toy]]
* [[Stress ball]]
* [[Spinning top]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="LATobit">{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-gary-ross-dahl-20150401-story.html| title= Gary Ross Dahl, originator of '70s Pet Rock sensation, dies at 78| date= April 1, 2015| first=Elaine |last= Woo | work= [[Los Angeles Times]]| access-date=2015-04-01}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* [https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1947621_1947626_1947687,00.html Pet Rock in Top 10 Toy Crazes by Time magazine]

[[Category:1970s fads and trends]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1975]]
[[Category:Novelty items]]