Yes, I definitely agree. Pet kills should also give the pc experience (even if it is only a very small percentage).
I would go a step further here and say that instead of pets turning on the pc when they are caught in a fireball trap, some animal pets should actually be able to detect traps. In real life dogs, and even rats (google it), are used to detect mines. It's not a stretch to say that they could sniff out traps in the game.
There could just be a simple message like "The dog barks at the door" or something when detection is successful. I'm sure someone could come up with a better message, but you get the point.
Not saying they should be 100% effective, just that animals should be doing the opposite of what they are now, which is increasing liability with regard to traps.