Very rarely does an animated feature involving talking dogs get the “adults-only” classification, but Plague Dogs is certainly one film you might want to keep the kids from seeing. An older film, you’d probably have to do some digging since it has far outlived its time in theatres, video releases and Cable TV. However, if you can track down this classic, it is certainly worth it.

Plague Dogs doesn’t pull any punches with its opening scene. Ralph, a large black dog, is being drown by scientists and then systematically resuscitated as part of an experiment to see how long a person can go before the point of no return. It’s bleak stuff and something those with delicate sensibilities should avoid. Ralph, luckily, survives his ordeal and meets a young terrier who has had surgery on his brain to make him smarter. The two form an alliance and escape.

You might be reading that description and wondering why anyone would subject themselves to viewing something so tragic. Because it’s necessary.

Experiments like these really happened on poor, defenseless creatures – man’s best friend, for crying out loud. We need to see these things and know that they happened so that we can prevent such cruelty from happening again.