However, Charlie Brown wasn't actually the beagle’s first owner. Long before Snoopy was driving Charlie Brown crazy, he belonged to a young girl named Lila. The two were close, but Lila eventually had to return Snoopy to the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm after her apartment building introduced a no-pets rule. That's how Snoopy eventually ended up with Charlie Brown's family, but the story didn't end there.
While franchise creator Charles M. Schulz explored different versions of Snoopy's early life across the comics and television specials, the most heartbreaking take remains the 1972 theatrical movie. Released 54 years ago, the movie makes it clear that Snoopy never forgot Lila, even after all those years apart.
When Snoopy reunites with his original owner, his loyalty to Lila hits hard. He actually decides to leave Charlie Brown, packs his belongings, and says goodbye to everyone. Fifty-four years later, knowing just how important Snoopy and Charlie Brown became to each other somehow makes the whole thing hurt even more.
Snoopy, Come Home Reveals The Heartbreaking Truth About The Beagle's First Owner
Released in 1972, Snoopy, Come Home wastes almost no time putting Charlie Brown through emotional torture. Snoopy receives a mysterious letter from a girl named Lila, and before Charlie Brown can even figure out what's going on, the beagle packs his suitcase and hits the road with Woodstock. Naturally, Charlie Brown is completely confused. So, Linus gets to the bottom of it and drops the brutal truth: Lila was Snoopy's original owner. As Linus puts it, Charlie Brown basically bought a “used dog.”
The reason for the trip makes things even more heartbreaking. Lila is in the hospital and wants to see Snoopy again, so the beagle sets off to find her despite running into a ridiculous number of “No Dogs Allowed” signs along the way. When he finally sneaks into the hospital and sees Lila again, it's obvious that neither of them has forgotten the other. Snoopy was only a puppy when they were separated, but the moment he sees her, that old bond comes right back.
The reunion is genuinely sweet, with Lila clearly still loving Snoopy after all those years. She even tells him that his visit helped her recover. But then the beagle’s first owner asks the question that turns the whole movie into emotional damage: she wants Snoopy to come live with her again.
Snoopy is caught between the girl who owned him first and Charlie Brown, the kid who gave him a home after that. In the end, he decides to go back with Lila, which means returning to Charlie Brown one last time to pack up his things.
Snoopy, Come Home Uses One Perfect Sight Gag To Save The Greatest Friendship In Animation
The farewell party is where Snoopy, Come Home goes straight for the heart. Snoopy starts handing out his belongings, Charlie Brown is completely crushed, and even Lucy ends up crying. Watching Lucy cry is basically the Peanuts equivalent of the emergency alarm going off. It really feels like Snoopy is gone for good.
Then Schulz pulls one of the funniest possible twists in Peanuts' history. Snoopy finally reaches Lila's apartment building, only to find a giant “No Dogs Allowed” sign. After all that sadness, Snoopy is genuinely relieved to discover that he can't stay there, giving him the perfect reason to turn around and run straight back to Charlie Brown. It's ridiculous, bittersweet, and somehow exactly the kind of ending Peanuts would pull off.
This ending is exactly why Snoopy, Come Home still hits so hard. For a movie about a dog leaving his owner, it somehow manages to be both genuinely heartbreaking and ridiculously funny. Snoopy may have found his way back to Charlie Brown by accident, but the whole mess makes their friendship feel even more special.
Created by
Charles M. Schulz
First Film
The Peanuts Movie
Cast
Christopher Shea, Kathy Steinberg, Bill Melendez, Sally Dryer, Peter Robbins, Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Mariel Sheets, Lisa DeFaria, Venus Omega Schultheis
TV Show(s)
The Snoopy Show, Peanuts by Schulz
Movie(s)
The Peanuts Movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown's All Stars!, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
Character(s)
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy van Pelt, Linus van Pelt, Sally Brown, Pig-Pen, Marcie (Peanuts), Peppermint Patty, Woodstock
Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.
English (US) ·