This is absolutely my favorite cartoon ever made. It pains me,however, that not many people know about it. It is a heartfelt story of a stray puppy and the trials and tribulations that Scruffy must face. It is a combination of Bambi and Lady and the Tramp. It is unique in it's own right because of the interesting story line and good writing. I have loved it since I was old enough to remember and I am now 22. It is one that should be considered a classic in the cartoon world but is not. I recommend it to anyone who loves cartoons and especially the ones about animals. I just wish that they would put it on DVD because my VHS copy is so worn down!

I saw this movie about fifteen years ago, and I was shocked at how horrible it was then. Looking back, I wonder why such a frightening movie was released to kids. A summary is as follows: [WARNING, total spoilers] Scruffy is a single birth to a mother dog. Their owners have to move from their house because it's condemned and they can't take the dogs, so they leave them in the yard for a neighbor to pick up. The mother dog is confused and hides in the house, which the demolition team soon sets ablaze.She climbs the chimney to safety, pup in tow. They are adopted by a firefighter, but soon Scruffy's mom gets wanderlust and the two set off again. In a scene reminiscent of Bambi, Scruffy's mother gets gunned down. Now the poor lost dog is orphaned, lost, and did I mention that it's winter?While hiding in a park, she meets a hobo who takes her in, and the two live blissfully under a bridge. He teaches Scruffy how to perform tricks, and they manage to make a living off the change people throw at the dog walking on her hind legs. (But how much money does a homeless guy need?) One night, the hobo gets mugged, and is so distraught by the attack that he spills the tonic that he needs to calm himself down. He collapses, an ambulance comes and he dies. Meanwhile, Scruffy manages to fall into the river, and is rescued by a junkyard dog right before she drowns. She lives with them then, one is a drunken Great Dane and one is a Collie who thinks an old boot is her dead puppy. They get into tangles and fights with other junkyard dogs and then eventually wind up in the pound. Just before Scruffy and this other dog are about to be euthanized they are adopted by this family, and I think Scruffy wins a beauty pageant and she also has a big pile of puppies. While it does end OK (I guess, even though it's sort of doggie incest), I personally was disgusted by the unhappy nature of this movie. I will never share it with my children.

This movie was originally shown as a three part mini-series as an "ABC Weekend Special" in 1980 and was replayed several times following. If you love dog stories or films about canine situations, you will no doubt enjoy this animated feature. While "Scruffy" was created for Saturday morning TV, it plays very well as a feature length film. The story is centered around a Springer Spaniel puppy, who after being orphaned struggles to survive as a stray in a large city. Along the way she encounters various humans both good and bad, challenging situations, and befriends a tough but lovable male Pit Bull Terrier who serves as a friend and protector. The film sends a strong message concerning the hardships endured by stray dogs, and while "Scruffy" is kid friendly, the producers did not sugar-coat the fact that unwanted or discarded canines are destroyed if they do not find a home. In the end the viewer is left feeling happy about the story's outcome, but at the same time reminded that the unwanted pet population is a problem that will not go away anytime soon and that it is up to the human population of the world to be responsible for a solution. All in all a nice story that will please any fan of dog related movies or admirers of classic Saturday Morning animation.

One of the cutest films ever. An adorable stray puppy finds friends & foes on the streets. The animation is simple, yet charming. There are several scenes that leave me in tears but these are well mixed in with humour, loyalty, friendship, bravery & trust. Everyone should see it. My rating 8/10