Death is an inevitable part of the human experience. And guess what? It’s inevitable for cartoons, too. Yes, even cartoon dogs! And in light of our belief that one should never shy away from cold, hard truths, we’ve compiled a list of the most probable ways your favorite cartoon dogs died. Enjoy!
Underdog
Underdog flew so high he reached escape velocity, left the atmosphere, and we haven’t seen him since. It’s probably because he burned up on re-entry.
Snoopy
Snoopy is one of the most iconic dogs of all time. What’s not to love about a dog that can fly a dog house without a pilot’s license? Here’s the bad news: Snoopy is a Beagle, and a Beagle’s life expectancy is 12-15 years, max. Snoopy was born in 1950, so he died a long time ago.
Droopy Dog
Doggy depression is no laughing matter. It affects one in every 50 cartoon dogs. Unfortunately, Droops lost his battle when he dropped a cartoon anvil on his head in 2007.
Porkchop
Porkchop boogied until he was electrocuted by his trusty Walkman.
Clifford
We always talked about how big Clifford was, but we never discussed the reason for it: undiagnosed Gigantism. The condition typically causes joint issues and cardiovascular problems, and, sadly for Clifford, there was no big red doctor who could operate on his big red heart.
Scooby Doo
Scooby, ever the glutton, got into some of Shaggy’s “special” chocolate. And we all know what chocolate does to dogs. R.I.P., old friend. At least he died doing what he loved: being super stoned.
Hong Kong Phooey
Penrod Pooch was put in a communist internment camp during the height of the Cold War. Recently-released records show he died there.
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage often got himself into unsafe situations, causing many of us to wonder, “Where are his parents?” So we were sad, but not necessarily surprised, to discover that Courage died from neglect. Damn you, Muriel and Eustace!
Astro
Turns out Rosie wasn’t so great after all. Astro was killed after a tragic software malfunction caused the usually-trusty maid to cook him in a stew. Rosie was “shutdown” shortly thereafter.
Slinky
Slinky, like most slinky-based lifeforms, admittedly never had much of a chance. He died after becoming hopelessly and gruesomely tangled around his own body. By the time death finally took him, it was a blessing.
Again, we hope you enjoyed this list of how your favorite cartoon dogs possibly died. Note: We’re not legally accountable for ruining your day. We checked.
Images: Cartoon Network, E.W. Scripps Co, MGM, Nickelodeon, Scholastic Corporation, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Cartoon Network, ABC, Cartoon Network, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Pixar