LOTRO: Pets coming to Middle-earth?

Alright, so pets were possibly already here, but with the exception of lore masters no one else really noticed.

So if you read today's release notes regarding patch 13.1, you probably read something about pets becoming available to LOTRO players in game.

Is this a good thing?
Short answer: maybe.
Long answer: This will definitely add a new "cuteness" factor to LOTRO as well as providing a new hobby for players, along side things like fishing and steed collecting. High end players who have done it all can do it all again in the hopes of earning or finding a new pet, and we can expect to see at least some people with a Pokemon "Gotta catch 'em all" mentality for whom collecting pets will be something a bit too much more than a hobby to be healthy.
New cosmetic options, which is what this sounds like, are almost always welcomed by players as new ways to make your toons stand out from everyone else's. However, Turbine devs obviously expect this to present  potential hazard to graphics cards the world over. You can turn the option to view other's pets off to save you PC, but then the game really doesn't gain anything new, does it?

Is this a bad thing?
Short answer: Maybe.
Long answer: I don't know yet.
Much will depend on how Turbine develops the system going forward. This could be a new fully functioning aspect of the game that's completely free, but I doubt it. I'm anticipating store exclusive pets, unlockable pet slots, and possibly even the need for F2P and premium players ti unlock the ability to equip or store pets (similar to the wardrobe function).

It all boils down...
...to what Turbine does with the pet system. It could be a really cool new addition to the game's cosmetics or it could be another way to nickel and dime players for minor content. I sincerely hope it's the former, but it's hard to tell these days. I'm hoping that we see something that doesn't just copy the pet system of other games but genuinely adds something to the game, even if it's just flavour.
And if any game devs should happen to read this: I beg you...I plead with you...please please please....keep it tasteful. This is Tolkien's Middle-earth, not Pokemon.