Pongo

Pongo is the main protagonist in the 1961 Disney classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians, its sequel, 1996 films, and television series. He is the husband of Perdita and father of 15 puppies and adopted father of 84 more puppies. He is voiced by Rod Taylor in the original film and by Samuel West in the sequel.

Personality
Initially, Pongo is the loyal pet of Roger Radcliffe. He cares deeply for Roger, going so far as to find Roger a wife so that they may leave their boring bachelor life behind. Afterwards, he becomes a loving husband to Perdita and a caring father to their puppies. In comparison to Perdita, Pongo is the more laid-back parent, but remains extremely protective of their children. Pongo is extremely clever, and is usually the one to make the plans that help his family, such as disguising the entire group as Labradors to avoid detection.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians
In the original film, Pongo is the narrator. Having grown bored with the bachelor life, Pongo is first seen trying his best to find his master (dogs call them pets) Roger, a suitable wife. So far, there's no luck until Pongo sees mates that will suit both him and Roger. A woman named Anita, and her pet dalmatian Perdita. Pongo gets Roger to follow them into the park. Once there, Pongo tries to get their attention but it ends in an apparent failure. Although it seemed terrible, Roger and Anita fall in love as does Pongo and Perdita. A few months later, the happy couples reside right down the block from the park, also living with Nanny. At this time, Perdita is expecting puppies, and Pongo couldn't be prouder. Just then, Anita's school friend, Cruella De Vil, makes a visit.

She quickly demands the whereabouts for the puppies, but does not reveal the reason for her interest in them. Perdita, knowing the woman is a monster, now worries over the very idea of having children. In October, the puppies arrived, much to the relief of a worried Pongo. Pongo licks Roger happily when Roger is able to revive one of the puppies after it was born. Cruella makes another visit. She is initially repulsed by the puppies spotless appearance, but calms once she learns that the Dalmatian puppies will get their spots three weeks after birth. She begins to right a check for the puppies' purchase, but Roger angrily refuses her offer. Furious, Cruella departs after ending her friendship with Anita and claiming she'll get even. With Cruella gone, Pongo quickly tells the resting Perdita the good news. A few months later, Pongo and Perdita are happier than ever with fifteen wonderful puppies. During their walk in the park, two hoodlums by the name of Jasper and Horace, break into Roger and Anita's home, and, after trapping Nanny in the attic, kidnap the puppies. After realizing that there is little hope of the humans finding their puppies, Pongo uses the Twilight Bark, normally a gossip chain, to spread the news of their kidnapped puppies to the dogs of London.

The news eventually reaches the Colonel far away in the countryside. According to his associate, Sergeant Tibbs, puppy barking was heard over in an old mansion that has recently been occupied. Colonel and Tibbs head over to investigate, learning that Jasper and Horace are working for Cruella, and that she plans to use the fur from Pongo and Perdita's puppies, as well as another eighty-four, to make dog-skinned coats. The news is relayed back to Pongo and Perdita, who immediately head to the area to rescue their puppies. Pongo and Perdita arrive just in time to rescue their puppies from Jasper and Horace. Upon learning that there are now ninety-nine puppies, Pongo decides to adopt the extras, knowing Roger and Anita would never turn them out.

The dalmatians begin to make their way home through the help of several dogs. While Perdita leads the puppies, Pongo brings up the rear, and keeps count of all the puppies. Cruella learns about their escape, and goes on a hunt for the dogs, forcing the Dalmatians to avoid them.

In the small town of Dinsford, a Labrador reveals to the group that a truck is heading to London, and there is enough room for the entire group. Perdita worries about how to get on, as Jasper, Horace, and Cruella are roaming the town. After some inspiration from Lucky and Patch, who had been fighting in a nearby pile of soot, Pongo is inspired to disguise everyone as Labradors by rolling in the soot. The dalmatians are barely able to get on the truck before it leaves, but they are discovered when Pongo is seen carrying Lucky, whose disguise had been washed off by the snow. Cruella chases them down but crashes into the van of Jasper and Horace, ultimately foiling her plans. Back in London, Roger, Anita, and Nanny mourn for the lost dogs, but are greeted by a wonderful Christmas Day gift when Pongo and the others arrive. Roger and Anita decide to keep the other eighty-four pups and move to a bigger property in the country, giving the dalmatians enough room to roam freely.

101 Dalmatians: The Series
Pongo appears once again in the film's television series, but has a very minor role. Pongo has moved to a farm plantation with his family and takes the role as the responsible father and best friend of pet Roger. As shown in "The Dogs of DeVil" and "Splishing and Splashing", he is more laid back than Perdita.

His demotion to a side character is mentioned in "The Making of...", where he mentions that "The producers decided to go for a "younger" look".

Episodes where Pongo has a speaking role

 * "Home is Where the Bark is"
 * "The Dogs of DeVil"
 * "Lucky to be Alone"
 * "Four Stories Up"
 * "You Say it's Your Birthday"
 * "Lord of the Termites"
 * "Hail to the Chief"
 * "Food for Thought"
 * "Film Fatale"
 * "Snow Bounders"
 * "Splishing and Splashing"
 * "Un-Lucky"
 * "The Making Of..."
 * "Animal House Party"
 * "Dalmatian Vacation, Part 2: Cross-Country Chaos"

101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure
Pongo reappears in the film's sequel. Although he provides the opening narration as he had done in the first film, his role is reduced to that of a minor one much like in the TV series, as his son Patch likes to be Thunderbolt's sidekick. Pongo is accidentally the true reason Patch felt as if he was nothing more than a dalmatian puppy (Pongo was talking in his sleep while Patch was asking him questions), prompting the puppy to leave on a soul-searching journey. Pongo is initially unaware of his son's disappearance until later in the film, when he and Roger read the newspaper and see a photo of Thunderbolt with Patch in it. Pongo, shocked at the fact that one of his own has once again disappeared, blames himself for Patch being missing, because he lost count. He, along with Perdita, Roger, and Anita head back to London to look for him. When they do, he tells his son how much they've missed him.

House of Mouse
Pongo makes several cameo appearances, voiced by Michael Bell, in the television series House of Mouse. Pongo's most notable appearance is at the beginning of "Dennis the Duck", where the House of Mouse had a black and white day, a tribute to the classic black and white cartoons. When Mickey Mouse informs the club of the tribute, Pongo comments, "''It's about time". In "House of Crime", Pongo growls when Perdita tells Mickey that someone stole their puppies, thinking Cruella De Vil stole them.''

Kingdom Hearts
Pongo makes a minor appearance in Kingdom Hearts, having been transported to Traverse Town with Pongo due to the destruction of their world. During the escape, his owners, Roger and Anita, disappeared during the destruction and the 99 puppies were separated and scattered across other worlds. Sora must locate the puppies throughout Kingdom Hearts and send them back to Perdita in Traverse Town. To return Sora's helpfulness, Pongo and Perdita give gifts to Sora. When Sora sealed Kingdom Hearts, Pongo, Perdita, and all of her children, returned home.

Other animated productions
In The Wonderful World of Disney episode Adventures in Color, Pongo makes a brief cameo chasing after Ludwig Von Drake after the professor pulled out a large piece of stake.

Pongo makes a cameo in Oliver & Company. He is seen trying to break free from Roger to join Dodger in the song "Why Should I Worry" to which he manages to break free from Roger and goes to join Dodger in the song.

Pongo has a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, along with Perdita, as a scale wise toy up top the Marvin Acme factory during the climax of the film.

101 Dalmatians
In the live-action remake of the original animated film, Pongo is featured as a non-speaking dog, but still retains his role as main protagonist. Like the original, Pongo resides with Roger in London. Pongo appears to be quite intelligent, being able to work a computer. When he first catches glimpse of Perdita, he quickly rushes to Roger to arrange their meeting. Like the original, Cruella desires the dalmatians' fur, and hires goons to kidnap them. Pongo then sends the Twilight Bark signal across London. After awhile, Pongo and Perdita are approached by a dog and taken to their puppies' location. Meanwhile, the puppies are able to outwit Cruella, Jasper, and Horace with the help of several animals. They reunite with their parents and are escorted home by the police.

Once Upon a Time
In the ABC television series Once Upon a Time, Jiminy Cricket's Storybrooke counterpart, Archie Hopper, has a dalmatian named Pongo.

Disney Parks
Pongo makes no live appearances at the parks, but holds a few tributes. At Walt Disney World Resort's Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, an oversized statue of Pongo can be seen at the 101 Dalmatians section of the hotel.

Pongo has a prominent role in the Walt Disney World interactive game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. Here, Pongo serves as the guide for the mission to defeat Cruella on Main Street USA and teams up with the park guests and Merlin the Wizard in a quest to stop Cruella from retrieving part of the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. In this attraction, Pongo communicates with the park guests through barks translated by Merlin. Pongo also has his own spell card called "Pongo's Soot Bucket".

Pongo is also featured in the Disney Cruise Line interactive game Midship Detective Agency. Here, Pongo's puppies are once again stolen. To save them, he teams up with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy to search the ship to find them and discover which villain committed the crime.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

 * "My story begins in London, not so very long ago. And yet so much has happened since then, that it seems more like an eternity."
 * "At that time, I lived with my pet...in a bachelor flat just off Regents Park."
 * "It was a beautiful spring day. Tedious time of the year for bachelors."
 * "Oh... that's my pet, Roger Radcliff, a musician of sorts."
 * "As far as I could see, the old notion that a bachelor's life was so glamorous and carefree was all nonsense. It was downright dull."
 * "It was plain to see that my old pet needed someone, but if it were left up to Roger, we'd be bachelors forever. He was married to his work writing songs. Songs about romance of all things. Something he knew absolutely nothing about."
 * "Oh, he's intelligent enough, as humans go. And I think you could say, Roger is a rather handsome animal in his way."
 * "I could see no reason why my pet...didn't deserve an attractive mate. At least I was determined to do my best."
 * "Of course, dogs are a pretty poor judge of human beauty. But I had a rough idea...of what to look for."
 * "Hmm! Unusual breed. Very unusual. Hmm! Oh, surely not."
 * "Well now, what have we here? Hmm. Well, a little...too short coupled. Nope!"
 * "I say! Well, I do say! Now there's a fancy breed. Hmm. Perhaps a little too fancy.Yes, much too fancy."
 * "Too old. Too young."
 * "It was a problem, a realproblem."
 * "Well, now that's a bit more like it! The most beautiful creature on four legs! Oh, now, if only the girl. [looks at Anita] Well! She's very lovely too. It was almost too good to be true. I'd never find another pair like that, not if I looked for a hundred years."
 * "Ah, they're heading for the park. A perfect meeting place...if I can only arrange it. Uh-oh... but Roger never stopped work 'til after  5:00. That would be too late."
 * "I was afraid we'd missed them. Perhaps they passed on by the park. Then suddenly...I spotted them. It was a perfect situation if I planned it right. I couldn't depend on Roger. I knew what he'd do. He'd settle on the grass, puff his pipe and that would be it. No, it was all up to me."
 * "Well. At first I had no particular plan, just anything to attract attention. You know, stir things up a bit."
 * "For a while, it seemed to work. At least they had seen one another. Things were going along first-rate. But for some strange reason they left!"
 * "But I wasn't giving up. I was determined that somehow they just had to meet."
 * "For the first six months or so...we lived in a small house near the park, a modest little place...but just right for two couples who were just starting out."
 * "Perdita, darling, are you all right?"
 * "Oh, that's Nanny, a wonderful cook and housekeeper. She's such a kind, understanding soul. You know, at times she seems almost canine."
 * "Perdy?"
 * "Don't worry, Perdy. They're on to her. Nothing's going to happen to our puppies."
 * "Poor Perdita. Of course, she had no choice. The puppies arrived right on schedule...one wild and stormy night in October."
 * "Perdy? Perdy, darling? We're keeping the puppies, every single one of them. My ol'pet Roger, he told that devil woman off. He told her off, Perdy. She's gone. Darling, she's gone for good."
 * "Shh, shh. Let's just wait and see."
 * "Perdy? We need to get these little nippers off to bed if we're going for a w-a-l-k."
 * "Better do what your mother says."
 * "One, two, three, four...five, six...five, six...eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen...fourteen."
 * "Hmm?"
 * "Lucky, you little rascal, let's go."
 * "Perdy... I'm afraid it's all up to us."
 * "Well, yes. There's the twilight bark."
 * "Darling, it's the very fastest way to send news. And if our puppies are anywhere in the city, the London dogs will know. Now we'll send the word tonight when our pets take us for a walk in the park."
 * "We've got to keep trying, Perdy."
 * "Perdy, we're in luck! It's the Great Dane at Hampstead."
 * "It's the Great Dane. He has news for us. He'll meet us at Primrose Hill."
 * "The back bedroom window. It's always open a wee bit. C'mon."
 * [Pongo and Perdita have just reunited with their puppies] "Lucky! Patch! Pepper! Freckles! And Rolly, you little rascal!"
 * "Everybody here? All fifteen?"
 * "What? 99? Where did they all come from?"
 * "We have to get back to London somehow."
 * "Perdy, we'll take them home with us. All of them. [the puppies start wagging their tails] Our pets would never turn them out."
 * "Thank you, Seargent, Colonel, Captain."
 * "How can we ever repay you?"
 * "Perdy, I've got an idea!" [rolls around in soot]
 * "Look! I'm a Labrador! We'll all roll in the soot! We'll all be Labradors!"
 * "Come on, kids! Roll in the soot!"
 * "That's the stuff! The blacker the better!"

Trivia

 * If you listen closely, when Pongo and Perdita attack Jasper and Horace, their growls and snarls sound like Tramp's.
 * Also, some of their growls and snarls are recycled sound effects from Old Yeller when he was fighting the wolf.
 * Pongo's bark is later given to Toby from "The Great Mouse Detective".