Well, obviously they count to the Ratcatcher.
But specifically I am referring to whether they count as an ally.
Take the melee action Backstab - It has a difficulty of 3 Misfortune. But for each of your allies engaged with the enemy, it reduces this by 1 Misfortune. Does the SBVD count?
Also, does the pet move on its own? Should it roll initiative? Or do we just assume that it moves with the player?