Homeward Bound: Insights We Forgot We Saw

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a beloved Disney movie that was created in the early 90's. I loved this movie growing up, but having re-watched it recently (Corona...you know), I find myself seeing the film in a whole new light.

For those who don't know, I am a pet photographer that has worked with numerous shelters. I also have a dog and cat that are former rescue babies.  

I'm writing this blog, because I thought it was interesting how well this movie portrays a rescue dog's fears and attitude towards a new family.

The cat, Sassy, was (and still is) my favorite character. But I really want to focus on Chance, the rescue pup of the group, and his relationship with the old family dog, Shadow. 

I understand that the 90's version of Homeward Bound is actually a remake of a 1963 film, which is based off the novel The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford. But having not seen the previous film, or read the book I will keep my comments related to the 90's version my generation grew up with.

Homeward Bound is still a great movie, one that you should spend some time watching if its been a while. It's funny, exciting, and at times can really pull at your heartstrings. But the story line I found most engaging was about how rescue animals feel when they're presented with new circumstances.  

The themes of abandonment and loyalty explored in this film make you look at your own pets in a whole new way.

It makes you question, did my rescue baby feel this way? Do they trust me now?

To understand how different Shadow's and Chance's opinions are I will provide a couple of quotes from the beginning of the movie.

 Shadow:

"Dogs are supposed to be faithful, loyal, and true."

"He'll be back."

"Don't worry Peter, I'm here to protect you."

"Shame on you for betraying your boy."

"Something is keeping Peter from coming to me, so I'm going to him."

"I had a responsibility to Sassy, to love and protect her. The same I do to you and to Peter."

 Chance:

"Peter belonged to Shadow. Shadow was faithful. Shadow was loyal. Shadow was a chump."

"The little boy Jamie was supposed to belong to me, but I didn't need anybody else."

"People use you, then lose you."

"The pound is where humans lock you up when they don't want you anymore."

"Wake up and smell the kibble, they dumped us."

Chance is the narrator throughout the movie. He was abandon by his family when he was a puppy and lived on the streets until he ended up in a pound, so his new family is his second home, his second...Chance. He even expresses his guarded optimism early in the movie.

"Maybe this time, with this family, things are going to be different."

But just as he starts to get comfortable, he and the other pets are abandoned on an unfamiliar farm. We as the audience know that this is only a temporary measure, one made by the family for the benefit of the animals. But the animals don't understand this, they can't understand this.

Shadow is scared and confused when Peter leaves, but he knows Peter will come back for him. Chance's responses is very different.

 "oh no, not this..." 

He believes his second family has left him, just like the first.  

Can you blame him?

Chance's first family left him on the street and his new family was leaving him with a stranger. We can't communicate with our pets. We can't comfort them, explain it's only temporary, and tell them 'we still love you.'

On their journey home, Shadow is determined to get back home to Peter, while Chance sees this as an adventure.

When Sassy falls into the water and they believed she was dead, Shadow blames himself and explains to Chance that they, as dogs, have a responsibility to their family. To always love and protect them, whether they're humans, cats, or other dog.

"When a few wild dogs took it upon themselves to watch over man; to bark when he's in danger, to run and play with him when he's happy, to nuzzle him when he's lonely. That's why they call us 'Man's best friend.'"

As Chance listens and watches Shadow throughout their journey, he begins to trust in Shadow's beliefs. He starts to miss Jamie and wants to be home with him.

Like every Disney movie, it has a happy ending. Shadow, Sassy, and Chance make it home to the family who desperately missed them.

As children, we went on a fun journey with two dogs and a cat. However, as adults we can see the trauma Chance had to work through during his journey, because he was abandon by his first family.

It takes the wisdom of Shadow and a very long journey to show him, he is loved and wanted by his new family.

I believe Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey does a great job at showing us the trauma a rescue animal has after being abandon, but since it's a Disney movie for children, I think people forget about it as adults and miss it's message. 

People abandon cats and dogs like this all the time and it's heartbreaking. Working with rescues, I see the sweetest, lovable babies who were abandoned and sometimes abused by their previous owners. They never understand why, so they have trouble trusting again when a new family comes along. 

We are Chloe's third family. She had the people who got her as a puppy (they abused her, so they don't deserve to be called her family) and the foster home she was in while she was nursing her puppies under the shelter's care. I count her foster home, because there was no way for her to know that was temporary and they truly did love her.

Chloe has separation anxiety, because this all happened within the first two years of her life. My husband and I can't tell her, "We love you and will never abandon or hurt you." Instead, we give her lots of love, and when she needs it, space.

When rescuing an animal, we never know what we're going to get, especially when adopting a mom of puppies or kittens. Rescues do their best to give potential adopters an idea of the animal's personality, but they will go through personality changes as they become more comfortable in their new home.

They just need someone who loves them and someone they can trust. 

The Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey photos are from the "Walt Disney Archives" and are not mine. I did get them from this website: https://d23.com/did-you-know-8-incredible-facts-about-homeward-bound-the-incredible-journey/