The Hunter pet is a Hunter's constant companion as they travel through Azeroth and Outland. When fighting solo or in small groups, a Hunter's pet acts as a tank allowing the Hunter to maintain the range that he/she requires in order to do their best in combat. When not tanking, pets can be used to deal damage in addition to the Hunter's shots and stings. Patch 3.0.2 introduced many changes to how Hunter pets work.