It’s commonly quoted that each Wes Anderson movie is distinct, instantly recognizable with every passing frame thanks to his specifically stylized fashion of filmmaking. His color palettes, the perfect symmetry of his shots, his roster of recurring collaborators, and his unusual dialogue are legitimately just a few of his defining traits as a director.

Perhaps the quirkiest quality to each of his films, however, is Anderson’s obsession with dogs — not to mention his tendency to kill them off. Audiences have held resentment in the deepest spots of their heart for Anderson ever since they noticed this as a recurring element of his movies, and while some of the time he chooses to kill off cats instead — like in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) — Anderson’s characters kill dogs in his films (most of the time by accident) like a Tarantino character shoots someone.

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That’s hyperbole, obviously — most of the dogs end up living at the end of their respective film. And if they ever do pass away, it usually happens by accidental means. But, either way, whether they live to tell the tale: this director’s filmography has featured dozens of adorable dogs.

The Dogs of Wes Anderson’s Movies

     Fox Searchlight Pictures

Among the most prevalent examples of dog deaths in Anderson’s filmography is also the earliest: Buckley from The Royal Tenenbaums (2001). He was the pet of Ari and Uzi, the twin sons of Ben Stiller’s character Chas Tenenbaum. Buckley made it into the third act with his coat and collar intact, but was unfortunately run over by a car soon thereafter — one driven by Owen Wilson’s character Eli Cash, no less.

However, there’s also a scene in which the titular Royal watches a dog fight on the street. Pretty dark stuff, but perhaps not to the extent of drugging a beagle in order to sneak past its territorial instincts. This is an idea concocted by the titular character of Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).

And even still, things get worse from there. In Moonrise Kingdom (2012), a stray arrow impales a dog named Snoopy. Thankfully, the deed happens off-screen, but sounds of the little guy’s death whimpers can be heard nonetheless. The closeup of the group confirming the dog’s death deals in a different volume of emotion.

Before assessing the final film at hand, it’s worth noting that Anderson also killed a cat in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) that belonged to the character of Jeff Goldblum — who is also relevant in this discussion for his maltreatment of a dog in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Then, there’s Isle of Dogs (2018). For reasons that need not be stated, this one features its fair share of furry friends. And, yes — there are some unfortunate casualties along the way.

Anderson’s Background With Pets

     Touchstone Pictures

Of course, after watching a few of his films for the first time or stumbling upon an article such as this one, this topic definitely bears the question: why does Wes Anderson hate dogs? Is he more of a cat guy? Obviously not, as was already established with the mentioning of The Grand Budapest Hotel, but surely an answer lies somewhere.

An interviewer for GQ Magazine asked Anderson if he takes inspiration from his real life and creates his fictional characters based on actual people. The director answered that he occasionally does, to which the interviewer inquired about the 2018 stop-motion animated film Isle of Dogs, asking whether any of the characters (mostly dogs) therein were based on Anderson’s life.

“Yes,” Anderson said. “Well, I actually did have a dog named Chief. A black dog named Chief.” Which makes sense. It’s not like anyone legitimately thought that Anderson was diametrically opposed to dogs and was willing to let the world know by killing them off in a fictional fashion, like the next Netflix exclusive show about a serial killer. Some of Anderson’s dogs are some of the most famous examples of canines in film, and nobody wants to see them pass away.

Other Famous Dogs in Film

     Focus Features

There are several examples throughout Hollywood history of dogs going down as famous movies characters: Toto from The Wizard of Oz (1939) immediately springs to mind. Plus, there’s the titular dog from Lassie (1994), Frank the Pug from Men in Black (1997), and Buddy the Golden Retriever from Air Bud (1997). But of course, those films were not directed by the same person.

There are however a couple other filmmakers known for their infatuation with canines, and one example is Tim Burton. With the 3D stop-motion animated film Frankenweenie (2012), Burton tells the story of a Bull Terrier named Sparky who was resurrected by his owner, Victor Frankenstein. But there’s also Heraldo, the pet Chihuahua of Christopher Walker’s character Max Shreck from Batman Returns (1992), along with Scrap, the childhood pet of Victor Van Dort who was reunited with him in The Land of the Dead from Corpse Bride (2005). There are a few more examples throughout Burton’s career, but those are the most prevalent.

In the end, though, the director who will always be associated with their deep interest in dogs, whether he truly loves them or hates them — it’s undoubtedly Wes Anderson.