Hoot

Hoot is the tertiary antagonist who appears in Spooky Buddies. He is a great horned owl and one of Warwick's loyal henchmen, the other being Halloween Hound.

Background
74 years ago, Hoot served as one of Warwick's henchmen. Warwick and the Halloween Hound had struck an agreement to rule the world together. Hoot had doubts about Warwick's plan, but Warwick refused to listen to Hoot and even insulted the owl. However, after four of the puppies already had their souls taken, Pip bit Warwick's hand and attempted to escape. As Pip's soul was about to be consumed, the sun began to rise and expelled the Halloween Hound back to the netherworld. Cornered by the sheriff, Warwick jumped in the mirror to the netherworld alongside the Halloween Hound, much to Hoot's shock and dismay.

Role in the film
74 years have passed and after two boys got in the old manor and approached the mirror, Warwick and the Halloween Hound both escaped back into the real world. Hoot notices and informs Warwick, who uses a potion to turn the boys into rats. Warwick and the Halloween Hound then set out to Fernfield to find the stuff needed to complete the ritual: his spellbook, his staff, and five puppies who share the same blood. Hoot was relieved to see him safe, but he continued to be mean towards Hoot and told him to go find the spellbook.

While kids were out trick-or-treating, Hoot notices that Billy had the staff in his possession. He later flies back to the manor to inform Warwick. After the Halloween Hound managed to capture the five Buddies, he imprisons them inside the manor. Warwick then tells Hoot to guard the cage containing the Buddies, threatening him that if he failed, he would turn Hoot into a featherduster.

Shortly after, Pip enters Warwick's manor, where he and the Buddies manage to reason with Hoot and tell him that he can reform. Hoot agrees and releases the Buddies, but then Halloween Hound sees that Hoot betrayed them, so he turns the owl into stone. Pip and the Buddies get trapped since Hoot was incapacitated, but Pip informs Halloween Hound that he sucked his siblings 74 years ago. Halloween Hound turns Pip into stone as well, but Skip and Rodney's rat forms help them all escape.

In the end, the sun rose and all who had been turned to stone were back to normal with their souls in place, including Zelda, Deputy Sniffer, Pip and his siblings, and even Hoot himself. Afterwards, Hoot flies out of the manor and perches in a nearby tree, where he presumably lives the rest of his now-peaceful life as a wise owl.