10 Painfully Emotional Dog Deaths In Movies
3. Old Yeller
Old Yeller is the quintessential pet tragedy film. Set on a homestead in post-Civil War Texas, Old Yeller is a simple story about a boy and his dog.
Old Yeller, a stray dog with a penchant for thieving, is at first shunned by adolescent Travis (Tommy Kirk), who is the interim man of the family while his father is away. After fighting off a black bear, which was about to attack Travis' younger brother, Old Yeller is accepted by Travis and the two form a relationship that is founded as much upon Old Yeller's charm as it is his practical worth. One night, a rabid wolf attacks the family. Old Yeller holds off the wolf but is bitten in process Travis is forced to accept his dogs fate and shoots Old Yeller when it becomes clear that he has contracted rabies.
There's no doubting that the film's ending has been spoiled for all but the most reclusive of potential viewers, but that doesn't make it any easier to cope with when it finally comes. It's an undeniably tragic event, but director Robert Stevenson makes sure that there's a worthwhile message about the facts of life and death behind it all.