Happy Birthday, Pluto!

We all know Pluto, Mickey’s trusty pal! He’s a truly unique classic Disney character because he remained a true dog. No talking, walking upright, or really any other human traits. We really know him as the goodest of good boys, and his birthday is September 5th! Let’s celebrate Pluto with some Disney Pluto history!

“Yet through all these great moments I think I can safely say Pluto hasn’t changed a bit. He’s still the same unaffected, simple-minded mutt he’s always been.”

-Walt Disney

Pluto made his first appearance in 1930 in the “Chain Gang”, but we see him as Mickey’s pet in 1931 in “The Moose Hunt”, and the rest is history! Did you know that Pluto even received an Academy Award and an Oscar! In the short film “Lend a Paw”, there is a message in the opening credits, “This picture is dedicated to the Tailwagger Foundation in recognition of its work in lending a paw to man’s animal friends.” Walt Disney was a proud donor of the Tailwaggers Foundation, a group that funds qualified nonprofit organizations that aid sick animals.

Pluto planet versus Pluto the dog… Which came first? Turns out, the “ninth planet” was discovered and named in 1930. We can assume that folks at the Disney Company were inspired by the scientific discovery because Pluto officially was named shortly after the discovery in 1931.

Salute to His Service

Pluto is a veteran! It’s true! Pluto was amongst the Disney characters who enlisted for service to fight the Axis in World War II!

Pluto appeared in 3 shorts as a soldier, The Army Mascot in 1942, Private Pluto in 1943, and Canine Patrol in 1945.  It’s fascinating to see this side of the characters that we love, but good luck finding it! Disney has separated itself from the government contracted movies, so it is up to the public sharing them across the World Wide Web.

Lucky for You, We Found a Compilation

 “I believe Pluto’s proudest moment really came during [World War II] when our fighting forces in every sector of the world began to shower in requests for Pluto to pose for their battle insignia.” – Walt Disney

Not only did Pluto serve on the front lines on screen, he also served our troops on the real front lines with his image. Walt Disney offered free military insignia designs for our nation’s military and Pluto was the second most requested character, second to Donald Duck. Pluto appeared on more than 45 military insignias across all 5 branches of the United States military!

Thank you for your service, Pluto. Happy 92nd Birthday, Pal!

This post is part of the MDT Patriotic Disney Series!

Related Posts:

• Honoring Disney Veterans: Walt Disney
• Honoring Disney Veterans: Roy Disney
• Honoring Disney Veterans: Robert Sherman
• Honoring All Disney Veterans and Those Who Served at Home
• Disney History: Disney and the War Effort
• Sergeant Donald Duck Learn About His WWII Service

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