Pound Puppies (2010 TV series)

Pound Puppies is an animated children's television series developed by Wendy Klein Moss, Nancy Steingard, Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere for the Hub Network. It premiered on October 10, 2010 in the United States as the first Hub "original series".[1] It also aired on YTV in Canada and on Boomerang in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. Produced by Hasbro Studios, it was the second series (after the 1986 series) to adapt Pound Puppies into a cartoon format. Originally a property by Tonka, Hasbro acquired Tonka itself and currently manages Pound Puppies. The plot style and music were similar to the 1960s TV series Hogan's Heroes and to films like Stalag 17 and The Great Escape.[2] The first seven episodes of the series were animated by 9 Story Entertainment, but DHX Media/Vancouver took over to animate the series from episode 8 onwards.[3]

Pound Puppies
GenreComedy
Adventure
Musical
Children's animation
Fantasy
Developed byWendy Moss Klein
Nancy Steingard
Paul Germain
Joe Ansolabehere
Voices ofEric McCormack
René Auberjonois
Yvette Nicole Brown
John DiMaggio
Michael Rapaport
Alanna Ubach
M. Emmet Walsh
Brooke Goldner
Cree Summer
Jessica DiCicco
Betty White
Theme music composerJonathan Evans
Opening theme"Pound Puppies"
Ending theme"Pound Puppies"
ComposersDaniel Ingram
Steffan Andrews
Country of originCanada
United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersWendy Moss Klein (seasons 1–2)
Nancy Steingard (seasons 1–2)
Paul Germain (season 1)
Joe Ansolabehere (season 1)
Vince Commisso (episodes 1–7)
Steve Jarosz (episodes 1–7)
Chris Bartleman (episodes 8–65)
Blair Peters (episodes 8–26)
Kirsten Newlands (episodes 8–65)
Bart Jennett (season 3)
Stephen Davis
ProducersPaul Germain (episodes 1–8)
Joe Ansolabehere (episodes 1–8)
Marissa Collyer (episodes 1–8)
Elana Adair (episodes 8–65)
Alfred Gimeno (episodes 12–39)
Kimberly Small (season 3)
Running time22 minutes
Production companiesPaul & Joe Productions (season 1)
9 Story Entertainment (episodes 1–7)
DHX Media Vancouver (episodes 8–65)
Hasbro Studios
Original release
NetworkThe Hub/Hub Network
ReleaseOctober 10, 2010 (2010-10-10) –
November 16, 2013 (2013-11-16)

The show is known for being one of four original series from The Hub to win the CINE Golden Eagle Award for high quality production and storytelling in July 2012;[4] one month later, 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.[5] 65 episodes were produced.

The show currently airs reruns on Discovery Family.

Plot

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The Pound Puppies are 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".[6]

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 them a dog tag shaped like a dog house as a parting gift, along with the quote, "Once a pound puppy, always a pound puppy".

Episodes

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
126October 10, 2010 (2010-10-10)January 28, 2012 (2012-01-28)
213June 2, 2012 (2012-06-02)December 1, 2012 (2012-12-01)
326June 1, 2013 (2013-06-01)[7]November 16, 2013 (2013-11-16)

Characters

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Pound Puppies

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The following dogs appear regularly in the series.[8]

  • Lucky (voiced by Eric McCormack) is the Mongrel dog 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. As shown in an official plush toy, his last name is "Smarts". He appears to be a German ShepherdScottish TerrierGolden RetrieverJack 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 Henderson in "Lucky Gets Adopted", he prefers to be at the pound, managing adoptions and planning missions. While it is revealed that Lucky actually has six brothers and three sisters, he thought he had five, but after meeting up with his father again (as in "I Never Barked 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) is a tough-talking, but kind and smart Boxer who is Lucky's second-in-command. She has a secret crush on Lucky the same way he does (as revealed in "The General" and "When Niblet Met Giblet"), but not when she gets her stomach touched. Every time Lucky wants to confess that he loves her they get interrupted. In "Mutternal Instincts", she grows close to a puppy she affectionately names Cupcake and, at the end, her family adopts her. As shown in an official plush toy, her full name is "Sugar Cookie".
  • Niblet (voiced by John DiMaggio) is 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 not to wear a collar with a keychain on it. He is also the only dog of the main 5 who doesn't have any form of owner.
  • Strudel (voiced by Alanna Ubach) is 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 is extremely cocky, but she does love her friends, and can be kind and brave. She brags how smart she is and tends to show off her intelligence. She often works in the background, which often makes her jealous of the other main 5 dogs. In "My Fair Rebound", it is revealed that she used to be a show dog and her stage name was Strudel diSchnitzel Von Wiener. In Season 3, it is revealed that Strudel used to have an owner, who was a scientist.
  • Squirt (voiced by Michael Rapaport) is a yellow Chihuahua, Squirt is the smallest and most street-smart of the group and 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. He gets adopted by accident in Season 2.
  • Rebound (voiced by Brooke Goldner) is Niblet's little sister, who was first seen in the namesake episode. 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. Starting with season 2, she – along with Cupcake and Patches – is added to the opening sequence.
  • Cupcake (voiced by Cree Summer) is 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. Introduced in the Season 1 episode, "Mutternal Instincts", she started off as a cute and innocent character, but after she joined the Super Secret Pup Club, she had a more down-to-earth personality. Starting with season 2, she – along with Rebound and Patches – is added to the opening sequence.
  • Patches (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) is a Dalmatian puppy first introduced in a season 2 episode known as the "Super Secret Pup Club". 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". Before he was first introduced, he appeared in and – along with Rebound and Cupcake – was added to the opening sequence.

Humans

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  • Leonard McLeish (voiced by René Auberjonois) is the short-tempered manager of Shelter 17. His last name (McLeish) is a play on the word "leash". He does not like his career and wishes for a better one. As such, he is unaware of the Pound Puppies' operations. Starting with "I Heard The Barks On Christmas Eve", he is shown to secretly like dogs and, in the same episode, he adopts his own perfect dog, a chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever named Ralph. The Mayor is his brother-in-law. He supposedly has a sister. His mother is Agatha McLeish.[9]
  • Olaf Hugglesbjork (voiced by M. Emmet Walsh) is 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 have to 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) is the mother of Leonard McLeish who initially hated dogs until she met Rebound, whom she adopted. She is somewhat strict with her son but dotes on Rebound.
  • Milton Feltwaddle (recurring character, voiced by Jim Parsons) is 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 1, and by John Larroquette in Season 2) is 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) is 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) is a young, energetic and lonesome girl who adopts Lucky. She first appeared in the final episode of Season 1, "Lucky Gets Adopted" and later reappears in the Season 3 episodes "No More S'Mores", "The Pupple's Court" and "Lucky Has to Move". She is the only human who knows that the dogs can talk.
  • Claudio (recurring character, voiced by Jeff Bennett) is an Italian fisherman who appears in several episodes.
  • Mr. Julius (recurring character, voiced by George Takei) is a famous dog trainer who appeared in "My Fair Rebound", "The Ruff Ruff Bunch" and "Hail to the Chief".

Recurring characters

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  • Dolly (AKA "the General") (voiced by E. G. Daily) is a pink poodle who is a near-legendary member to the Pound Puppies network.
  • Ralph (voiced by Fred Stoller) is a chocolate-colored Labrador Retriever adult dog who is lazy and rarely pays attention to his surroundings. His first appearance is in "I Heard the Barks on Christmas Eve" and also made appearances in "The Truth Is In Hear" and "Once A Ralph, Always A Ralph". He shows an interest in chewing shoes. He is owned by Leonard McLeish, as Leonard is shown in "I Heard Barks on Christmas Eve" where he is left under Leonard's Christmas tree as a present from the Pound Puppies. Leonard would also supposedly be shown with Ralph in "Once A Ralph, Always A Ralph")
  • Pepper (voiced by Jennifer Carpenter) is 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 also wants to become a policeman. Even after Sarge, Charlie's father's dog, turned down Pepper, Pepper didn't let that stop her; however, just like Cookie and Cupcake, Lucky can show affection for Pepper.
  • Agent Ping (voiced by Lauren Tom) is a persnickety Shiba Inu who is part of the Pound Puppies Chinese operation. She appeared in the Season 1 episodes "Homeward Pound" and "Mutternal Instincts" and the Season 3 episodes "Hail To The Chief" and "The Pupple's Court".

Cats

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The Kennel Kittens are a group of cats who help find homes for kittens. Their goals sometimes bring them into conflict with the Pound Puppies. They first appeared in "Catcalls" and last appeared in "Hello Kitten". They are as follows:

Other

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Home media

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Pound Puppies was distributed by Shout! Factory.

Title Release date Episodes Additional features
Homeward Pound[10] March 6, 2012
  • "Homeward Pound" (Season 1, Episode 11)
  • "My Fair Rebound" (Season 1, Episode 8)
  • "Quintuplets" (Season 1, Episode 9)
  • "The K9 Kid" (Season 1, Episode 19)
  • "Zoltron" (Season 1, Episode 15)
Bonus feature - "Learn to Draw Lucky!"
Super Secret Pup Club[11] October 16, 2012
  • "Bone Voyage" (Season 1, Episode 17)
  • "Mutternal Instincts" (Season 1, Episode 25)
  • "The Fraud Princess" (Season 2, Episode 2)
  • "The Super Secret Pup Club" (Season 2, Episode 3)
  • "The Ruff Ruff Bunch" (Season 2, Episode 7)
Mission: Adoption[12] May 21, 2013
  • "King of the Heap" (Season 1, Episode 7)
  • "Taboo" (Season 1, Episode 13)
  • "Snow Problem" (Season 1, Episode 18)
  • "Zipper the Zoomit Dog" (Season 2, Episode 1)
  • "There's Something About Camelia" (Season 2, Episode 5)
Bonus feature - Printable adoption certificate
Holiday Hijinks[13] November 5, 2013
  • "I Heard the Barks on Christmas Eve" (Season 2, Episode 13)
  • "I Never Barked for My Father" (Season 1, Episode 21)
  • "Barlow" (Season 2, Episode 4)
  • "Good Dog, McLeish!" (Season 2, Episode 6)
  • "The Prince and the Pupper" (Season 1, Episode 5)
A Perfect Match[14] April 8, 2014
  • "The Yipper Caper" (Season 1, Episode 1)
  • "Hello Kitten" (Season 3, Episode 11)
  • "No More S'mores" (Season 3, Episode 19)
  • "Beauty Is Only Fur Deep" (Season 3, Episode 12)
  • "Working K9 To 5" (Season 3, Episode 1)
Puppy Love[15] February 3, 2015
  • "Toyoshiko! Bark Friend Machine" (Season 1, Episode 14)
  • "McLeish Unleashed" (Season 1, Episode 22)
  • "The General" (Season 1, Episode 4)
  • "When Niblet Met Giblet" (Season 3, Episode 9)
  • "Rebound's First Symphony" (Season 3, Episode 22)
Bonus feature - Printable valentine
Pick of the Litter[16] July 14, 2015
  • "Dog on a Wire" (Season 1, Episode 10)
  • "Pound Preemies" (Season 2, Episode 13)
  • "Cuddle Up Buttercup" (Season 3, Episode 2)
  • "The Pups Who Loved Me" (Season 3, Episode 3)
  • "I'm Ready for My Close Pup" (Season 3, Episode 8)
Rare Pair[17] January 19, 2016
  • "Catcalls" (Season 1, Episode 6)
  • "The Really Weird Dog" (Season 1, Episode 16)
  • "The Call of the Squirreldog" (Season 1, Episode 20)
  • "Kennel Kittens Return" (Season 1, Episode 24)
  • "Once a Ralph, Always a Ralph" (Season 3, Episode 10)
Showstopping Pups[18] April 16, 2016
  • "The Accidental Pup Star" (Season 2, Episode 10)
  • "It's Elementary, My Dear Pup Club" (Season 3, Episode 6)
  • "Hot Dawg!" (Season 3, Episode 7)
  • "The Watchdogs" (Season 3, Episode 13)
  • "Back in Action" (Season 3, Episode 17)
Halloween at Shelter 17[19] August 30, 2016
  • "Nightmare on Pound Street" (Season 1, Episode 2)
  • "Rebel Without a Collar" (Season 1, Episode 12)
  • "Fright at the Museum" (Season 3, Episode 4)
  • "The Truth is in Hear" (Season 3, Episode 18)
  • "Little Monster" (Season 3, Episode 21)
  • "Lord of the Fleas" (Season 3, Episode 23)
Puppy Party[20] December 13, 2016
  • "Rebound" (Season 1, Episode 3)
  • "Olaf in Love" (Season 1, Episode 23)
  • "Puddles the Problem Pup" (Season 3, Episode 5)
  • "Hail to the Chief" (Season 3, Episode 14)
  • "All Bark and Little Bite" (Season 3, Episode 15)
  • "Doubles Trouble" (Season 3, Episode 20)
  • "The Road to Empawerment" (Season 3, Episode 24)
Lucky Time April 18, 2017
  • "Lucky Gets Adopted" (Season 1, Episode 26)
  • "Salty" (Season 2, Episode 8)
  • "Squawk" (Season 2, Episode 9)
  • "No Dogs Allowed" (Season 2, Episode 11)
  • "Lucky the Dunce" (Season 3, Episode 16)
  • "The Pupple's Court" (Season 3, Episode 25)
  • "Lucky Has to Move" (Season 3, Episode 26)

Toys

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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.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 475–476. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ "Pound Puppies, Hogan's Heroes". Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  3. ^ "DHX Media website-Pound Puppies". Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  4. ^ "HubWorld.com press release". Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  5. ^ "The Hub TV Network Original Series 'Pound Puppies', From Hasbro Studios, Honored with Humanitas Prize". Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  6. ^ "Pound Puppies on HubWorld.com". Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  7. ^ "'Wizards Vs. Aliens', 'SheZow', 'The Aquabats! Super Show!', 'Pound Puppies' & 'Kaijudo: Clash of the Duel Masters' Premiere on The Hub This June". Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  8. ^ "Pound Puppies-Characters". Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  9. ^ "Pound Puppies-Secondary characters". Archived from the original on 2012-09-20. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  10. ^ "Pound Puppies: Homeward Pound DVD press release". Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Pound Puppies: Super Secret Pup Club DVD facts sheet". Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Pound Puppies: Mission: Adoption". Shout Factory. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Pound Puppies: Holiday Hijinks". Shout Factory. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  14. ^ "Pound Puppies: A Perfect Match". Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Pound Puppies: Puppy Love". Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  16. ^ "Pound Puppies: Pick of the Litter". Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  17. ^ "Pound Puppies: A Rare Pair". Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Pound Puppies: Showstopping Pups". Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  19. ^ "Pound Puppies: Halloween at Shelter 17". Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Pound Puppies: Puppy Party". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Pound Puppies on TV.com, forum discussion "Toys"". Retrieved 21 September 2012.
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