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Pounds Are Animal Prisons: Difference between revisions

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Pounds Are Animal Prisons (view source)

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{{trope}}
[[File:mittens_bolt_pound_7109.jpg|link=Bolt (Disney)|right]]
 
{{quote|''"They took us to the pound! I told you! This is it, this is the end of the line! WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!"''|'''Chance''', [[Homeward Bound: theThe Incredible Journey]]}}
 
One trope that's sure to rub animal-shelter volunteers the wrong way is the [[Seen It a Million Times|frequently]] antagonistic portrayal of animal shelters in fiction.
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A particularly strange variation can occur with zoos and/or ''wildlife'' rehabilitation centers, who work with non-domestic animals that (for whatever reason) might not survive in the wild; they too have a vested interest in their animals' health and upkeep.
 
Probably related to the [[Playing Withwith Syringes|Sadistic Science Lab]] and [[Theyd Cut You Up|the fear of winding up there]], and the [[Orphanage of Fear]].
 
{{examples}}
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* ''[[Hotel For Dogs]]''. "At least it's better than the pound." Also presents pound workers gloating about euthanising dogs after a day, just to drive the point home.
* ''The Shaggy D.A.'' had a dog pound scene, presented very like a prison, where he escaped with the help of the other dogs.
* In the movie ''[[Homeward Bound the Incredible Journey|Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey]]'', the animal shelter is initially portrayed like this -- but only from the animals' point of view, as it's revealed that {{spoiler|the shelter was trying to contact their owners, and had the animals ''not'' escaped they would have been reunited sooner.}} They also removed the porcupine quills lodged in Chance's face. Chance himself was rescued from a pound by his owner, which probably explains his severe hatred of "that bad place".
* The 1995 movie ''Fluke'' not only has a Prison Pound, it also has an Evil Research Lab. And did we mention that the titular dog is a reincarnated ''human''?
* [[Mousehunt]] had the [[World War Two|doggy concentration camp]] variety. And yes, we see a kitten getting gassed for absolutely no reason.
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== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* An early episode of ''[[Eerie Indiana]]'' involved a dog pound, and a boy whose dental bracers could detect (and translate) the dogs' language. It was implied that an ominous room at the end of the hall was where they put dogs to sleep, and the dogs were organizing some kind of rebellion.
* In ''[[Married... Withwith Children]]'', when Buck runs away and ends up in the pound, it's very prison-ish, complete with harmonica-playing pooch and a "religious" pup ready to administer the last rites.
* In an episode of ''[[Wishbone]]'', Wishbone is placed in the pound after having been found without his collar. He initially views it like this, but then he falls in love with a female dog there. At this point, his owner shows up and provides an [[Unwanted Rescue]].
 
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== [[Toys]] ==
* Along the same lines is Pick-A-Dilly Pet Shop for the [[Purr Tenders|Purr-Tenders]]. The cats there aren't being sold, so they wind up disguising themselves as other animals just to get out, and they're all ''terrified'' of being taken back... even though there's no evidence that they're being ignored or mistreated by the owner. (His ''dog'', on the other hand, is a dick.)
 
== [[Web Comics]] ==
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[Lady and Thethe Tramp]]''. "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Lady herself has a license and is quickly returned to her owners, while Tramp is caught by the dog-catchers (but later adopted by Lady's family as well). Interestingly, the dogcatchers aren't really demonized or set up as villains; they're just people doing their jobs. Though the dogs are shown to be absolutely miserable, as they try to dig out and escape. Mostly, it's the nasty Aunt Sarah that tells the dogcatcher to destroy the Tramp.
* ''[[Ren and Stimpy]]'', the pilot episode "Big House Blues".
* We hate to bring up such a notorious [[Nightmare Fuel|childhood]] [[Tear Jerker|destroying]] moment, but the first ''[[Garfield]]'' animated special ''Here Comes Garfield'' has him and Odie trapped and alone in such a pound. A bumbling Animal Control officer is a regular antagonist in ''[[The Garfield Show]]''
* After being falsely accused of attacking Beebee Bluff (when he was just trying to rescue her from falling in thin ice), Porkchop of ''[[Doug]]'' is confiscated by the pound and sentenced to 'execution'. The entire matter is played out as if he's actually in a maximum security prison.
* In ''[[Bolt (Disney)|Bolt]]'', the titular dog and cat Mittens are captured by an animal-control officer after an argument between them caused a scene. Bolt is rescued by Rhino en route to the shelter, but Mittens is impounded and fears she will never leave (as nobody will want to adopt her, {{spoiler|an abandoned, declawed housecat}}). Bolt then decides to break Mittens out that night with Rhino's help, which they do. The shelter itself is quite clean, and a banner in the entryway is briefly seen promoting a "Pet Adoption Week".
* On ''[[Rocko's Modern Life]]'', Rocko gets [[I Am Not Weasel|mistaken for a dog]] and is put on the pound. Appalled by the deplorable conditions, he decides to run for city dog catcher. He loses, but the city simultaneously votes in a more liberal animal control policy, and the role of dogcatcher (won by Mr. Bighead) is reduced to "glorified pooper scooper".
* ''[[Pound Puppies]]'':
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** The newer series on [[The Hub]] has since returned to the aforementioned Hogan's Heroes allegory. Indeed, their secret headquarters are referred to as "Shelter 17".
* Since Brian on ''[[Family Guy]]'' is more human-like than dog, when he winds up in the Pound, this happens. Along with a violent cell mate.
* Rita and Runt of ''[[Animaniacs (Animation)|Animaniacs]]'' meet when both are taken to the pound and speak to each other through the walls to plan an escape, and it's portrayed very much like a prison.
* ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven]]'' starts with Charlie breaking out of a dog pound, the whole sequence of which is treated like a typical jailbreak scene. In the next scene, another dog comments on Charlie's return with "Ain't you supposed to be on Death Row?"
* Dan has this view of animal shelters in an episode of ''[[Dan Vs.]]''
{{quote| "I didn't ask you to build an animal jail across the street. Shut your prisoners up, warden!"}}
* Played with in ''[[Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron]]''. The wild horses see stables as a prison, or like them being taken for slaves. The humans in the movie are treated quite reasonably though, but the horses point-of-view is different from the reality.
* ''[[Finding Nemo]]'' did this with a fish tank.
* One episode of [[Muppet Babies]] has a part where Baby Rowlf thinks that this trope applies to zoos since they reminded him of dog pounds. Nanny goes on to explain what zoos are all about, and how important they are to the protection of animal life.
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