Pedigree chums: why dogs are dying less in movies

Are film-makers wary of alienating increasingly sensitive audiences by offing a pooch? Or is humanity now just too soft to deal with the trauma of a Turner & Hooch?

Pedigree chums: why dogs are dying less in movies

TL;DR

  • The number of dogs dying in movies has decreased by 80% between 2020 and 2025.
  • This trend may be linked to filmmakers' concerns about upsetting sensitive audiences.
  • Websites like 'Does the Dog Die?' highlight audience anxiety regarding animal deaths in films.
  • Producers and actors are increasingly preemptively reassuring audiences that animal characters will survive.
  • The article questions whether avoiding dog deaths makes audiences less prepared for harsh realities.
  • A humorous suggestion is made for a mandatory canine death quota to toughen audiences.