Pound Puppies is an American/Canadian animated series that premiered on Hub Network (as a Hub Original Series) on October 10, 2010, in the United States. Pound Puppies also aired on YTV in Canada and on Boomerang in the UK, Ireland and Australia. The series is produced by Hasbro Studios. It is the second series, after the 1986 series, to adapt Pound Puppies into a cartoon format. It is a kid-friendly cartoon, and is designed to appeal to children and their families. It has also featured very well-known voice actors, such as Betty White.
Pound Puppies was originally a property of Tonka, but after Hasbro's acquisition of the company, it is now managed by the latter.
For the first 7 episodes, 9 Story Entertainment did the animation production, but DHX Media/Vancouver took over production starting with episode 8. It bears some resemblance in plot style and music to the '60s TV series Hogan's Heroes and to films like Stalag 17 and The Great Escape.
On July 9, 2012, it was announced that Pound Puppies was one of four original series from The Hub that won the CINE Golden Eagle Award for high quality production and storytelling.
In August 2012, it was announced that the season 1 episode "I Never Barked for My Father" was honored with the HUMANITAS Prize for excellence in writing for children's television animation.
Plot
The Pound Puppies is a group of dogs who spend most of their time at Shelter 17. Together with a group of squirrels recruited by Strudel, an incredibly smart Dachshund, they operate a secret and highly sophisticated underground facility beneath the pound, aimed at finding new owners for puppies or even grown up dogs that come to their pound. They rely on their motto, "A pup for every person, and a person for every pup". Although the facility is filled with advanced equipment (mainly built by Strudel and the squirrels) and is often shown bustling with activity, it consistently manages to avoid detection by the pound's clueless human staff. Several episodes have shown that there are multiple Pound Puppies units worldwide. There is also a similar organization, the "Kennel Kittens", which is a group of cats at the Happy Valley shelter that try to find forever homes for the kittens and cats that come their way. The Kennel Kittens have appeared in several episodes, and often mess up the Pound Puppies' missions. The Pound Puppies also have an unofficial side branch, the "Super Secret Pup Club".
A recurring plot often involves the Pound Puppies helping dogs find loving homes and coming across various challenges as they do so. Once a dog is successfully matched with a new owner, the Pound Puppies give him/her a dog tag shaped like a dog house as a parting gift, along with the quote, "Once a pound puppy, always a pound puppy."
Pound Puppies
The following dogs appear regularly in the series.
Lucky (voiced by Eric McCormack) – The main protagonist, mutt alpha male of the group and the leader of the underground facility. Well-adjusted and intelligent, but strict, he exudes authority and is often obeyed without question. He has a secret crush on Cookie (as revealed in "Rebel Without A Collar" and "When Niblet Met Giblet"), but he prefers to hide his feelings. However, in "When Niblet Met Giblet", he tried to show Cookie his feelings, even going as far as holding her paw. He never gets to confess because Lucky is always interrupted. According to an official plush toy, his last name is "Smarts". He appears to be a German Shepherd–Scottish Terrier–Golden Retriever–Jack Russell Terrier mix. He was described by McLeish, owner and manager of the pound as "the scruffy, sneaky one who always seems to be here." Although he was adopted by a rather excitable young girl named Dot in "Lucky Gets Adopted", he prefers to be at the pound, managing adoptions and planning missions. It is revealed that Lucky actually has six brothers. He admits he had five, but after meeting up with his father again(in I never barkers for my father.), he found out he had one more younger brother. His catchphrase is "Go, dogs, go" which he says to get the dogs to go into action.
Cookie (voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown) – A tough-talking, but kind and smart Boxer who is Lucky's second-in-command. She has a secret crush on Lucky (as revealed in "The General" and "When Niblet met Giblet every time Lucky wants to confess that he loves her they get interrupted.Cookie dislikes when her stomach has been touched. In "Mutternal Instincts", she grows close to a puppy she affectionately names Cupcake and, at the end, her family adopts her. According to an official plush toy, her full name is "Sugar Cookie".
Niblet (voiced by John DiMaggio) – A huge and sometimes clumsy and slow-witted Old English Sheepdog with a big heart. He has a little sister named Rebound. In "When Niblet Met Giblet", he fell in love with a fellow Old English Sheepdog, Giblet, but when she found her perfect person, he decided to stay with the Pound Puppies team. Although Niblet isn't the smartest of the group, he means well. Niblet also has been shown to love peanut butter. Niblet also is the only dog of the main 5 who is shown not wearing a collar with a keychain on it.
Strudel (voiced by Alanna Ubach) – A genius German Dachshund who creates many of the inventions used by the Pound Puppies. She is usually assisted by squirrels (due to her lack of opposable thumbs) and is the most intelligent dog in the group. For a small dog, she has a big ego and extremely arrogant. She brags how smart she is and tends to show off her intelligence. In "My Fair Rebound", it is revealed that she used to be a show dog and her stage name was Strudel diSchnitzel Von Wiener.
Squirt (voiced by Michael Rapaport) – A yellow Chihuahua. The smallest and most street-smart of the group; Niblet's closest companion in the series. Although Squirt speaks with a New York accent, the episode "I Never Barked For My Father" revealed that he was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. Squirt can be negative, but he will always be there for his team. Since he is the smallest member of the team, he sometimes ends up in wacky costumes in order to complete missions, including a cat, possum, rabbit, and flower. Squirt also had a friend named Peewee which he thought was eaten by an alligator.
Rebound (voiced by Brooke Goldner) – An energetic young Old English Sheepdog and Niblet's little sister. True to her namesake, she was adopted and returned to the pound many times due to her overenthusiastic nature. She finally finds her forever home with Agatha McLeish. She is a member of the Super Secret Pup Club, which was introduced in Season 2, Episode 3. She is owned by Agatha McLeish.
Cupcake (voiced by Cree Summer) – A puppy who is Cookie's adopted daughter. She is a member of the Super Secret Pup Club. She appears to be a Boxer/Labrador mix. She is smart and quick-thinking, although sometimes her puppy energy gets her into sticky situations.
Patches (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) – A Dalmatian puppy introduced in Season 2. He idolizes the Pound Puppies, in particular Lucky, and is the leader and creator of the Super Secret Pup Club (an unofficial branch of the Pound Puppies organization). According to an official plush toy, his last name is "McFrisky".
Humans
Leonard McLeish (voiced by René Auberjonois) – The short-tempered manager of Shelter 17. His last name McLeish is a play on the word "leash". He really doesn't like his career and wishes for a better one. He doesn't have a clue about the Pound Puppies' operations. However, in "I Heard The Barks On Christmas Eve", he is shown to secretly like dogs and even adopts his own perfect dog, a chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever named Ralph. He may have a sister, because the mayor is his brother-in-law. His mother is Agatha McLeish.
Olaf Hugglesbjork (voiced by M. Emmet Walsh) – The eccentric, kind caretaker of Shelter 17 and McLeish's aide. He is in charge of new dog arrivals and assists pound visitors in finding a matching pet they could adopt. Like McLeish, he is unaware of the Pound Puppies' operations. He has started dating Gertrude Washburn the librarian as of the episode "Olaf in Love".
Agatha McLeish (recurring character, voiced by Betty White) – The mother of Leonard McLeish. She hated dogs until she met Rebound, whom she adopted. She is somewhat strict with Leonard, but dotes on Rebound.
Milton Feltwaddle (recurring character, voiced by Jim Parsons) – An uptight businessman determined to change Shelter 17 for what he believes is the better. He appeared in "Toyoshiko: Bark Friend Machine" and "McLeish Unleashed".
Mayor Jerry (recurring character, voiced by Dabney Coleman in season one, and by John Larroquette in season two) – The brother-in-law of Leonard McLeish. He acts kind and pleasant in public and in front of children, but underneath, he has a very self-centered personality. He is constantly pushing McLeish to do things for him, and berates him for making mistakes. He cares little for potential voters, desiring only their votes, and likes to mock them behind their backs.
Ketchum (recurring character) – The silent animal control officer who frequently brings the puppies to Shelter 17, thus instigating the episodes' events. For the most part, he appears emotionless, but in the series finale, he expressed excitement when McLeish fired him.
Dot Henderson (recurring character, voiced by Grey DeLisle) – A young, energetic and lonesome girl who adopts Lucky. She first appeared in the final episode of season one, "Lucky Gets Adopted" and later reappears in the season three episodes "No More S'Mores", "The Pupple's Court" and "Lucky Has to Move".
Claudio (recurring character, voiced by Jeff Bennett) – An Italian fisherman who appears in several episodes.
Mr. Julius (recurring character, voiced by George Takei) - A famous dog trainer who appeared in "My Fair Rebound", "The Ruff Ruff Bunch" and "Hail to the Chief".
Recurring characters
Dolly (voiced by E. G. Daily) - Also known as "the General", she is a pink poodle who is a near-legendary member to the Pound Puppies network.
Ralph (voiced by Fred Stoller) – A Labrador Retriever adult dog who is lazy and rarely pays attention to his surroundings.He first appeared in "I Heard the Barks on Christmas Eve" and also made appearances in the "The Truth Is in Hear" and "Once a Ralph, Always a Ralph". He shows an interest in chewing shoes. His owner is Leonard Mcleish, which was shown in "I Heard Barks on Christmas Eve" where he is left under Leonard's Christmas tree as a present from the Pound Puppies.
Pepper (voiced by Jennifer Carpenter) – A young puppy who became a police dog in "The K9 Kid" and reappeared in "I Heard the Barks on Christmas Eve" and "It's Elementary My Dear Pup Club". She is serious about becoming a police dog and is strict. Her perfect person is a boy named Charlie, who too wants to become a policeman. Even after Sarge, Charlie's father's dog, turned down Pepper, Pepper didn't let that stop her (just like Cookie and Cupcake, Lucky could show affection for Pepper).
Agent Ping (voiced by Lauren Tom) - An orange-furred Akita Inu and the Pound Puppies' Chinese operation. She appeared in the season one episodes "Homeward Pound" and "Mutternal Instincts" and the season three episodes "Hail to the Chief" and "The Pupple's Court".
Cats
Ace (voiced by Eric McCormack) – Ace is the leader of shelter 71. Ace is a cat version of Lucky, the leader of shelter 17. He first appeared in "Catcalls" and last appeared in "Once a Ralph, Always a Ralph". He probably likes Fluffy but in any episode it is not said
Fluffy (voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown) – Just like Cookie, she's second in command of shelter 71. She is the cat version of Cookie. She is believed to not have a crush on Ace, but one on Squirt, as shown in "Kennel Kittens Return". Instead of pink, her bow on her head is yellow.
Crew
Allyson Bosch – Casting Director, Voice Director (Season 2)
Paul Germain – Voice Director (Season 1), Executive Producer, Producer, Story Editor (Season 1)
Bart Jennett – Executive Producer, Story Editor, Co-Executive Producer, Writer
Daniel Ingram – Song composer (2 episodes)
Eggplant – Song composer (3 episodes)
Toys
In Summer 2012, Hasbro released a line of toys for The Hub's Pound Puppies series, consisting mainly of plush toys (including Lucky, Cookie, Rebound, Patches, Cupcake, and a minor character, Nutmeg.) and small figures. Each plush toy comes with an 'Adoption Certificate' tag that one can fill out. One can also access an official website and download a Pound Puppies adoption.certificate.
