We can have lively debate over the breed of Disney character, “Pluto.” He’s been drawn as a Pointer….

…and some sources say he’s a mixed breed, but he debuted as a Bloodhound in “The Chain Gang:”

We may never find consensus in an answer, but the mystery never hurt him: His image appeared on over forty-five military insignias during World War II:

As an aside, the Disney studio created hundreds of insignia for American troops, and the most requested and used Disney character being Donald Duck who was featured in at least 146 designs. Pluto came in next, followed by Goofy, and then Jiminy Cricket, the bulk of insignia designed for Army units and Navy vessels.

Disney was a dog lover, and among his proudest moments was in 1942 when “Pluto“was presented with the Tailwagger’s version of the Academy Award^®, “the Boscar” for being the most promising dog actor of the year.  Indeed, in the movie, “Lend A Paw,” which won an actual Academy Award Oscar for Best Cartoon, the opening titles include an inscription: “This picture is dedicated to the Tailwagger Foundation in recognition of its work in lending a paw to man’s animal friends.” The Tailwaggers Foundation still exists today, and funds qualified nonprofit organizations that aid sick animals with the help of businesses and names you know, such as William Wegman.

Not bad for a dog who only got to say two words in his entire career: “Kiss me.” Pluto is what is known as a pantomime character: Animators expressed his personality through pure action, though in 1931’s The Moose Hunt, Pluto did get to say those two words to Mickey. Speaking for Pluto was never repeated, as it interfered with personality for the sake of an easy laugh.