Unchained

Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell didn’t set out to create a symbol for animal rights. He just wanted to create an antagonist for strip characters Earl the dog and Mooch the cat. 

“I decided a rough bully dog—as a foil for them to deal with—could be interesting and began designing a big gruff dog,” says McDonnell. “I gave him a spiked collar to make him look mean but, when I added a chain, I realized he wasn’t a villain but a tragic character with a tough story to tell.”

Guard Dog’s plight captured the imagination of many. As a chained dog longing for freedom, he played an important role in raising awareness about the cruelty of tethering. His poignant story inspired countless Mutts readers to become involved in animal welfare. Animal groups implored McDonnell to keep Guard Dog in the strip as a symbol for all chained dogs, to remind people that no dog should live in such conditions. Readers, however, wondered if Guard Dog would ever be free.

Those longing to see Guard Dog released found a glimmer of hope in the form of a young neighbourhood girl named Doozy. Doozy paid Guard Dog many visits on her way to and from school, always arriving with something to brighten his day: an umbrella, a blanket, treats, a hug, a kind word, a reminder that he wasn’t alone in the world.

Finally, in November 2023, readers got their long-awaited happy ending: Guard Dog was unchained. The multi-week storyline saw him abandoned by his guardian and left chained with no food or water after they moved homes. Earl and Mooch learned what had happened and got their human guardian to come to Guard Dog’s rescue, setting off a happy ending for the character.

“My pen-and-ink Guard Dog was a stand-in, speaking for all the real dogs who have had to endure this pain,” says McDonnell. “The response to the seven-week story ending with Guard Dog having a loving forever family was beyond anything I could have imagined.

“As a cartoonist, you put a character into a comic, and they tell you what to say. Guard Dog’s powerful voice in the comic strip spoke not only for tethered dogs but also for everyone who feels chained by their thoughts and circumstances. Guard Dog always had grace and hope in spite of his dire situation. I felt guilty keeping him on that chain all those years, and can’t express how good I feel now that he’s free and with Doozy… He and Doozy, together, was meant to be.”

This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!