The 25 Saddest Dog Movies Of All Time (For When You Need A Good Cry)

The saddest dog movies hit as hard as any tearjerker, particularly for those who've ever enjoyed the company of a canine companion at least at some point in their life. Sad dog movies are like a testing ground for young viewers. Their parents show them a tearjerker like My Dog Skip or Old Yeller to get them used to the idea that movies can be sad just as they can be exciting and funny. What many parents don't realize is that these sad dog movies end up emotionally scarring kids for years afterward.

The Fox and the Hound may be an animated Disney film, but even saying the title may be enough to bring tears to some movie lovers' eyes, for instance. While dogs can sometimes be killers in movies, they're more often than not the lovable, huggable, loyal, and occasionally frustrating, pets everyone knows and loves. So when a movie comes around involving a dog, usually that means there are going to be some tears. If someone needs a good cry, these sad dog movies may be just the ticket.

25 A Dog's Purpose (2017)

One Dog Is Reincarnated Over The Decades

A Dog's Purpose is based on the 2010 novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron, and follows a dog, Boss Dog (Josh Gad), who is reincarnated over multiple lifetimes and discovers the meaning of its own existence through the many lives of the humans it teaches and loves. It's an incredibly earnest movie that feels a tad manipulative, particularly due to the philosophical musings of the dog at the center. A Dog's Purpose is carried by the dogs at the center of the film. The end is as tear-jerking as sad dog movies get.

24 The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2019)

A Golden Retriever Learns What It Takes To Be An F1 Driver

The Art of Racing in the Rain is an American comedy-drama from 2019 that follows a golden retriever named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner). Enzo is owned by Denny (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring Formula One driver. Over his years with his friend, Enzo learns how the techniques and disciplines needed for driving can be applied to being successful in any aspect of one's life. Preposterous at some points, The Art of Racing in the Rain manages to avoid corniness and this sad dog movie is filled with heartstring-tugging moments.

23 A Dog's Way Home (2019)

Multiple States Can't Keep A Dog Away From Her Family

In A Dog's Way Home, a dog named Bella, voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard, goes on a 400-mile journey to be reunited with her owner. After a nosy neighbor threatens to call animal control on Bella, her owners send her away to New Mexico. Missing her family, Bella travels all the way back to Colorado to be with them. It's a classic tale of love and adventure told through a dog's eyes and, while it's not entirely original, the heartfelt moments are well executed and there are many tear-jerking scenes.

22 Lassie (2005)

A Rough Collie Forms An Unbreakable Bond With Her Young Owner

An adaptation of Eric Knight's novel, Lassie Come-Home, the 2005 Lassie depicts the loving bond between the rough collie, Lassie, and her owner, the young Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason). Joe's father, Sam (John Lynch), has to sell Lassie to feed his family, but the dog continues to return, much to the buyer's, The Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole), consternation. A timeless story about friendship and loyalty, Lassie is a faithful adaptation that balances the cruelty of the book with the pathos found between animal and man.

21 Balto (1995)

The True Story Of A Sled Dog Who Saves A Village

Based on the true story of the titular sled dog, Balto follows a wolfdog of the same name who lives on the outskirts of Nome, Alaska. Considered an outcast by other dogs and the townsfolk, Balto becomes the village's savior when he leads a pack of sled dogs to retrieve vital medicine for a diphtheria outbreak. Balto is non-stop action throughout, with one setpiece moving right into the next one. The dog's relationship with the young girl who gets sick is heartbreaking and a recognizable love to anyone who has ever been comforted by a dog.

20 I Am Legend (2007)

A Man Is Forced To Confront The Death Of His Only Friend

While I Am Legend may not be strictly about a dog, a dog figures into one of the most upsetting moments in the movie. I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a scientist set on finding the cure to a pathogenic virus that turned most of the living world into vampiric mutants. Robert's only friend is his dog Sam, a German Shepherd and gift from his son just before he died. Sam is a loyal pet and her death is a drawn-out affair that the viewer is forced to watch in excruciating and heartbreaking detail.

19 Frankenweenie (2012)

Tim Burton And Stop-Motion Come Together To Bring A Dog Back To Life

Tim Burton's Frankenweenie is a gothic stop-motion horror comedy in the same vein as The Nightmare Before Christmas. The film follows a young boy named Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan), who uses his electricity-powered invention to resurrect his dead Bull Terrier, Sparky. When his friends hear of the miracle, they demand Victor resurrect their beloved pets as well. Despite being stop-motion and covered in stitches, Sparky is as lovable as any movie dog, making his sacrifice at the end of the film all the more tear-jerking.

18 Because Of Winn-Dixie (2005)

AnnaSophia Robb Meets A Rowdy Dog In Florida

Because of Winn-Dixie

Family

Comedy

Drama

Release Date: February 18, 2005
Runtime: 106 minutes
Director: Wayne Wang
Writers: Joan Singleton, Kate DiCamillo
Producers: Ralph S. Singleton

Cast

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Jeff Daniels
Preacher
AnnaSophia Robb
Opal
Cicely Tyson
Gloria Dump
Eva Marie Saint
Miss Franny

Because of Winn-Dixie follows a young girl who moves to a small Florida town with her father after being abandoned by her mother. She adopts a dog named Winn-Dixie, and their friendship helps bridge the gaps within the community while mending her strained relationship with her father.

Based on the 2000 novel of the same name, Because of Winn-Dixie, the 2005 film stars AnnaSophia Robb as India Opal Buloni, who has just moved to the small town of Naomi, Florida. Alone in her new town, with a father still upset over his wife leaving the family, Opal makes quick friends with a rambunctious Berger Picard, whom she adopts and names "Winn-Dixie". It's an old-fashioned tale that might have felt out of step if not for Robb's performance, and her sad moments with her father and her dog are touching and honest.

17 Eight Below (2006)

Eight Sled Dogs Face The Antarctic Cold

Eight Below

Adventure

Drama

Family

Release Date: February 17, 2006
Runtime: 120 minutes
Director: Frank Marshall
Writers: David DiGilio

Cast

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Paul Walker
Bruce Greenwood
Moon Bloodgood
Wendy Crewson

In the icy expanse of Antarctica, a guide fights to rescue his sled dogs, left behind during a dangerous storm. As the loyal team braves the elements to survive, their bond and resilience shine. Inspired by true events, the story captures humanity and nature’s unyielding spirit.

A remake of the 1983 Japanese film Antarctica, Eight Belowstars the late Paul Walker as Jerry Shepard, a guide at a National Science Foundation Antarctic research base. When a massive storm hits the base and the humans are told to evacuate, Jerry has to leave his team of sled dogs behind, promising he'll return for them. The dogs go six months, living on their own and braving the elements, losing a few of their packmates along the way. Eight Below is an emotional, tender, and exhilarating adventure.

16 Lassie Come Home (1943)

The Classic Tale Of The Famous Collie's Journey Home

Lassie Come Home, the first adaptation of Eric Knight's 1940 novel, Lassie Come Home, is set in Depression-era Yorkshire, England, where Sam (Donald Crisp) and Mrs. Carraclough (Elsa Lanchester) are forced to sell their beautiful collie, Lassie, to the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce), to afford money for food. Young Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) is despondent at the loss of his pet, but Lassie escapes her new owners to reunite with Joe. It's a classic and poignant tale that's hard not to fall in love with.

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