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A Dog's Journey

A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets. A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets. A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.

• Gail Mancuso
• W. Bruce Cameron
• Cathryn Michon
• Maya Forbes
• Dennis Quaid
• Kathryn Prescott
• 202 User reviews
• 63 Critic reviews
• 43 Metascore
• 2 nominations

• Young Trent

• Trent's Mother
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia The dog breeds that Bailey is in each life are an elderly St. Bernard/Australian Shepherd, a female beagle named Molly, a male English Mastiff named Big Dog, and a Yorkshire Terrier named Max.
• Goofs A Mr. Sub sign is visible, and Shane happens to be an employee of the restaurant. However, the Mr. Sub chain is only available in Canada.

Bailey : I had a lot of lives, all different. Sometimes I was big, and sometimes, I was small.

• Crazy credits Shortly into the end credits the message "A Few of Our Forever Friends" is shown, followed by more than 50 photos of dogs, presumably of the cast and crew.
• Connections Featured in Projector: A Dog's Journey (2019)
• Soundtracks Crazy World Written by Peter Haycock , Colin Cooper, Derek Holt , and John Cuffley Performed by Climax Blues Band Courtesy of CBB Music

User reviews 202

• May 23, 2019
• How long is A Dog's Journey? Powered by Alexa
• May 17, 2019 (United States)
• United States
• Official Site
• La razón de estar contigo: Un nuevo viaje
• Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• Dreamworks Pictures
• Walden Media
• Reliance Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $16,000,000 (estimated)
• $22,782,371
• May 19, 2019
• $78,871,103

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 49 minutes
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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‘a dog’s journey’: film review.

In 'A Dog's Journey,' a sequel to 'A Dog's Purpose,' Kathryn Prescott joins the ensemble as a troubled young woman whom Bailey, the frequently reincarnated canine, keeps coming back to help.

By Leslie Felperin

Leslie Felperin

Contributing Film Critic

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Centered on the soul of a loyal mutt (amiably voiced by Josh Gad ) who has the spiritual equivalent of a season ticket that keeps sending him back to earth after several deaths, A Dog’s Purpose and now its sequel,  A Dog’s Journey,  serve up a sugar-coated, bastardized form of Buddhism for pet lovers. They’re easy films to sneer and snark at, especially given that both, and the first one especially, trade in a certain kind of wholesome, backlit, wheat-field-swathed image of America (actually shot in Manitoba, Canada).

Even worse, both films are ruthlessly efficient when it comes to jerking tears. Some prideful viewers are likely to feel resentful over how well the pain of losing a beloved animal companion is evoked. The tools are nothing more complicated than a likable cast (that goes for the dog and human actors); competent direction (Gail Mancuso, who oversaw episodes of Modern Family and Gilmore Girls , takes charge of the leash in Journey  from Purpose ‘s Lasse Halstrom); a surging score by Mark Isham to punch up the plangency; and some corny but hugely relatable plot devices. Ivan Pavlov himself (the original guy who taught dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell) would be impressed.

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Don’t tell anyone I said this, but the result is not only pleasingly emotionally purgative, but also has some elements worthy of genuine admiration, despite the fact that the third word in the title is one that should now be entirely banished from the English language for its precious, psychobabble connotations. Aside from that, the screenplay by W. Bruce Cameron (author of the novels on which both  Purpose and Journey are   based), Cathryn Michon, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky navigates competently between providing bereavement-based melodrama and butt-sniffing jokes, the twin poles of the Dog’s  mini-franchise. Along the way, with a story centered on a female protagonist this time, it quietly boosts a message of resilience and self-belief to young girl audiences, advising them that it’s always a smarter move to love nice boys and dogs rather than abusive jerks and pet haters.

Purpose  left off with our canine hero Bailey, at this point living in the body of a Great Pyrenees Bernese Mountain Dog, reunited with both Ethan ( Dennis Quaid ), who was Bailey’s owner as a child back in the late 1950s, and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger), whom Ethan used to date when they were teens. As Journey  begins, sometime in the late 1980s/early 1990s, two new members of the family have moved into the Norman Rockwell-style clapboard farmhouse Ethan’s inherited: Hannah’s daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin, from GLOW ) and her toddler Clarity (Emma Volk), also known as C.J.

Bailey is, as per usual, mostly focused on bacon falling on the floor in this period. He doesn’t truly understand what’s going on when Gloria — grieving over the off-camera death of C.J.’s father, who was Hannah’s son, and also a budding alcoholic and unconfident mother who feels jealous of Hannah and Ethan’s bond with her daughter — decides to up and leave with C.J., citing unfounded suspicions that they’re after C.J.’s inheritance money. The dog misses his small, pork-product-dispensing companion, but gets on with life in his phlegmatic, doggy way. When the time comes for Ethan to have the now-aged Bailey put to sleep permanently (arguably the film’s most sob-inducing scene), he asks Bailey to keep an eye over C.J. in his future lives.

Conveniently, the universe contrives to help him do just that, bringing Bailey back first as a female Beaglier (beagle/King Charles spaniel cross) named Molly that ends up being adopted by C.J. (Abby Ryder Fortson), now 11 years old and fending for herself as best she can while Gloria works through a variety of unsuitable men, many glasses of chardonnay and her few remaining hopes of ever having a solo singing career.

The script, Mancuso and the cast, especially the deeply watchable Gilpin and engaging up-and-comer Kathryn Prescott (who takes over as C.J. once she’s past puberty) effectively limn the layered complexities of this dysfunctional single-mom/lone girl-child menage, which scars C.J. in ways that only a loving dog can compensate for. Gloria fat shames her, cuts her off from her grandparents and neglects her horribly, which leads to her dating a skeevy guy named Shane (Jake Manley) — who might as well have a T-shirt with “Potential Stalker” blazoned across it — instead of her sweet childhood friend Trent (first Ian Chen, then later on Canadian K-pop star Henry Lau), who is always there for her. The core romantic advice from the Dog’s  films seems to be “never date anyone you haven’t known since childhood.”

It takes a few reincarnations for Bailey before his soul (now encased by a Yorkshire terrier), C.J. and Trent to all end up in New York City (playing itself with swagger), where the plot veers for a while into a young-people-face-cancer story, in the manner of The Fault in Our Stars  and the like. This extra layer of morbidity adds an interesting spin on the two films’ ongoing preoccupation with death, raising the stakes by having not just the loss of a beloved pet in the offing, but also the loss of a beloved friend. Tellingly, both potential losses are seen as equally devastating.

Nevertheless, it’s best not to think too much about the moral logic of Journey  and where it stands on the respective value of humans versus other mammals and animals. Or about why Bailey keeps getting reborn and coming back to these particular people and not, say, Joe (Conrad Coates), the nice man who runs a gas station near Pittsburgh, with whom Bailey lives when he comes back for a while as an African Boerboel named Big Dog. After all, Joe treats Big Dog just as well as any of the other dog owners and lives, as the inner voice of Bailey exclaims happily, in a “house made of snacks.”

Distribution: Universal Pictures Production: An Amblin Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment presentation in association with Walden Media, Alibaba Pictures of a Pariah production   Cast: Kathryn Prescott, Abby Ryder Fortson, Emma Volk, Josh Gad, Betty Gilpin, Marg Helgenberger, Henry Lau, Dennis Quaid, Ian Chen, Jake Manley, Daniela Barbosa, Conrad Coates Director: Gail Mancuso Screenwriters: W. Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron Producer: Gavin Polone Executive producers: Seth William Meier, Lasse Hallstrom, Luyuan Fan, Wei Zhang Director of photography: Rogier Stoffers Production designer: Eric Fraser Costume designer: Pattie Henderson Editor: Robert Komatsu Music: Mark Isham Casting: John Papsidera

Rating PG; 108 minutes

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Meet the dog thespians of 'A Dog's Journey,' a mutt method-acting masterclass

Spoiler alert! What follows reveals key plot points in "A Dog's Journey," though not the ending. You might want to see the movie before reading.

The pooch ensemble in "A Dog's Journey" (in theaters Friday) has serious acting chops.

These skills are required in the saga, a continuation of 2017's "A Dog's Purpose," which follows the spirit of Bailey as he's reincarnated into pup after pup (all voiced by Josh Gad ) before eventually passing to heaven.

The circle of life requires the full spectrum of canine emotion – from cuddly to consequential. Director Gail Mancuso, who has five dogs of her own, pulls Oscar-worthy performances from her canine thespians in a movie where there's a pooch in every scene.

For your consideration, we present the leading contenders:

Buddy brought the beautiful heartbreak early.

Boss dog Buddy (a Great Pyrenees/Bernese Mountain dog mix) was played by three lookalike dogs, but mainly Odin, the film's primary star. 

Odin was tasked with dying in the lap of Buddy's beloved owner Ethan (Dennis Quaid), which happens early in the film. It was already a Kleenex moment before Odin lifted his head for a final, soulful look into Quaid's eyes and faded. "That look was pure magic," Mancuso says. "That moment resonated with me, as I have experienced my own dog looking at me during our goodbye. It's a special bond."

'A Dog's Way Home':  How Shelby went from junkyard stray to Hollywood star

Molly was more than adorable energy.

The energetic Molly, who steps in to support the movie's human heroine CJ when her mom moves her away, was played by two Beagliers (a beagle crossed with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). Lead dog Lemy showed parkour skills, bounding through backyard obstacles (down stairs, over a gate) to jump into young CJ's arms (played by Abby Ryder Fortson). "And then started licking my face all over," Fortson says.

But Lemy had to get tough later and "bite" the leg of the film's villain (Jake Manley). Dog trainer Bonnie Judd first taught Lemy to tug with a toy, then placed a pouch of meat in Manley's pant leg. "It's kind of like a pinata," Judd says. "The more they go at it, the more they get."

Firefighter says goodbye to rescue dog in viral post: Dog owners can relate because pets are family

Parting is such sweet sorrow for Big Dog.

Big Dog, played by an African Boerboel named Phil, has a small role, portraying a chance meeting with his spiritual owner CJ, now an adult played by Kathryn Prescott, in a roadside store. Phil hit his marks, and gave a hearty paw-shake. But the soulful-eyed dog hit dramatic paydirt when he bid farewell forever to CJ.

"When he's saying goodbye as he's leaving, it's so sad that it made me cry," Prescott says.

Related: The 25 most heroic dogs in America

Buddy and an adorable toddler make giddy magic.

Emma Volk was 2 when she shot her screen debut as Buddy's kid friend (and Ethan's granddaughter) in "A Dog's Journey." But her giggling chemistry with Odin's Buddy is magic, with dog and toddler clearly happy together in a way that goes beyond acting. "Emma just really loved the big brute, and it looks natural," Judd says.

Max's exit scene was tough even for the dog actor.

Rescue dog Max, CJ's adulthood dog, was played by four Biewer terriers. Belle, the character's primary actor, was so invested in her death scene, she had trouble letting Prescott's CJ tearfully sing to her.

"The first time, Belle really wanted to kiss her tears away, but after that she kept her head down and closed her eyes each time," Judd says. "It's a tough scene for any dog but Belle was still a super-hyper puppy. Yet she did exactly as I asked over and over again. On each cut, she would quickly kiss CJ and play."

'A Dog's Journey' Review: It Sure Is Ruff To Sit Through This Tearjerker

We don't deserve dogs. Lovable, loyal companions that want nothing more than to be by our side (and eat our food), dogs are too good for this cruel, stupid world. While we don't deserve dogs, dogs definitely don't deserve movies like  A Dog's Journey , the weepy, manipulative, upsetting sequel to the surprise hit  A Dog's Purpose . Once again, audiences will be forced to watch dog after dog roll over and play dead, all in the name of telling some sort of half-assed spiritual story about reincarnation. Are the pups on screen cute? They sure are. Is that enough to make this movie worth seeing? Absolutely not.

I love dogs, and I love seeing dogs in movies. One thing I don't love, though, is watching those movie dogs die. For instance: if there happens to be a dog in a horror movie, and said canine meets an untimely end, I get very upset. That same movie could be filled with countless scenes of humans getting murdered in gruesome ways, and I won't even flinch. Kill a  dog , though? Then we've got problems.

Which probably means a movie like  A Dog's Journey is not for me. Because this is nothing  but dogs dying. Okay, yes, other things happen too. But the general set-up dictates that the dogs on display have to get bumped-off to further the plot. In the previous film,  A Dog's Purpose , audiences met Bailey, voiced with persistent cheeriness by  Josh Gad . Bailey spent that movie dying, over and over again, only to be reincarnated in another dog body. The story ended when Bailey caught back up with his original owner Ethan, who had grown from a boy into an adult, played by Dennis Quaid .

At the start of  A Dog's Purpose , Bailey is living the good life on Ethan's farm. Ethan is a real salt of the earth guy, seemingly always wearing work gloves or trucker caps, or always leaning against picket fences or tractors. These early moments are cheerful enough, but don't get used to them – misery awaits. Gloria ( Betty Gilpin ), daughter-in-law to Ethan's wife Hannah ( Marg Helgenberger ), is living on the farm as well, along with her daughter, Ethan and Hannah's granddaughter, toddler CJ. The grandparents dote on CJ, but are constantly butting heads with Gloria. After a particularly pointless argument, Gloria whisks CJ away, which upsets Ethan and Hannah. As if that weren't bad enough, Ethan almost immediately notices a lump in poor Bailey.

It turns out the dog has cancer, and has to be put down in a scene that made me immediately want to leave the theater. We're not even a full half-hour in yet, and a dog is already getting put to sleep on screen. "I remember this from before...," Bailey narrates while being killed. "A tiny sting...And then my pain melted away..." The implications are nightmarish. Not only does Bailey have to die again and again, but he also  remembers each death.

Before Bailey slips off to doggy heaven, which is presented as the type of big, sprawling wheat field that would make Terrence Malick salivate like a dog catching a whiff of bacon, Ethan rather selfishly asks the dying Bailey dog a favor: look after CJ. You see, Ethan is aware that Bailey can come back from the dead over and over again, and he just knows that the dog will end up in a new body and protect his granddaughter.

And that's what happens.

Ethan's request is like a binding contract. Bailey can't enjoy the afterlife as long as he has a mission (or a purpose, if you will), and that mission is to find and protect CJ. Which means Bailey is quickly whisked out of dog heaven and into a new body, that of a female dog named Molly (Gad still does the voice over for this dog, and gets to immediately make a joke about how he notices this new body doesn't have a penis). Sure enough, Bailey quickly finds a slightly older CJ, and ends up going home with her. This sets up a repetitive chain of events: Bailey's new dog body eventually dies, and then Bailey comes back  again to find CJ. Each time he returns, CJ is a little older.

As far as set-ups go, this isn't a terrible idea. At the very least, it's a clever way to jump through time in order to further the story. But the act of watching one dog after another meet its demise begins to wear on you, to the point where you're not sure how much more dog death you can take. It doesn't help that all the human drama isn't very interesting. CJ's storylines fail to connect – we simply don't care about her, even though  Kathryn Prescott   – who plays CJ in her final form – does her best. Everyone here is doing their best, I suppose – but they have nothing to work with. Poor Betty Gilpin , so wonderful on  GLOW , is stuck playing a generic mom from hell. How do we know she's a bad mom? Because she's either always on the phone or chugging white wine, that's how. Not even the usually dependable Quaid can rise above this maudlin junk.

Gail Mancuso 's direction is fit for the Hallmark Channel, and the twinkly, stirring score from  Mark Isham and Emily Bear is tailor-made to pull on your heartstrings and your tear ducts. None of this is great, but can we really fault  A Dog's Journey for it? After all, this is exactly what the film is trying to do. It wants to manipulate its viewers into crying fits, and on that front, it succeeds (despite my distaste for the movie, I'll admit I wept several times).

If you're hoping to spend almost two hours looking at some very cute, funny, entertaining dogs, I suppose  A Dog's Journey will do the trick. But this is one reviewer who definitely isn't sitting up and begging for more sequels.

/Film Rating: 5 out of 10

Universal Pictures

A dog's journey - official trailer (hd).

Bailey finds his new purpose. Experience the journey of many lifetimes on May 17. -- #ADogsJourney -- Facebook: unvrs.al/ADJFB Twitter: unvrs.al/ADJTW Instagram: unvrs.al/ADJIG Site: unvrs.al/ADJSite -- Some friendships transcend lifetimes. In A Dog’s Journey, the sequel to the heartwarming global hit A Dog’s Purpose, beloved dog Bailey finds his new destiny and forms an unbreakable bond that will lead him, and the people he loves, to places they never imagined. Bailey (voiced again by Josh Gad) is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his “boy,” Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Ethan’s wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter, CJ. The problem is that CJ’s mom, Gloria (Betty Gilpin), decides to take CJ away. As Bailey’s soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost. Thus begins Bailey’s adventure through multiple lives filled with love, friendship and devotion as he, CJ (Kathryn Prescott), and CJ’s best friend Trent (Henry Lau) experience joy and heartbreak, music and laughter, and few really good belly rubs. Directed by Emmy winner Gail Mancuso (TV’s Modern Family), A Dog’s Journey is produced by Gavin Polone (A Dog’s Purpose), and written by W. Bruce Cameron & Cathryn Michon, and Maya Forbes & Wally Wolodarsky, based on the best-selling novel by Cameron. The film, from Amblin Entertainment and Reliance Entertainment, in association with Walden Media and Alibaba Pictures, will be distributed by Universal Pictures domestically, and by Universal Pictures and Amblin Partners internationally.

A Dog's Journey

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A Dog's Journey Reviews

Whatever you want to say about any of the W. Bruce Cameron adaptations, by the time A Dog’s Journey's credits rolled, I had overdosed on cuteness.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 20, 2022

The film celebrates family, reconciliation and loyalty.

Full Review | Aug 12, 2021

A truly high-quality production that smartly pays attention to pacing, performances, cinematography, score, messages and...[it] authentically pays off.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2020

Even with a relatively merciful runtime of a hundred minutes, A Dog's Journey still manages to wear out its welcome before the credits roll.

Full Review | Jan 18, 2020

What if dogs really aren't this annoying when we get to hear inside their head? What if they're actually very smart or lovely?

Full Review | Sep 30, 2019

This shaggy dog sequel scratches all the designated spots.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 9, 2019

I went into it feeling a bit low and came out of it feeling a bit better. It's a reminder that sometimes there's a beauty in just going along with ordinary life, which is short, even more so for dogs.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 27, 2019

Much of this drama is entertaining and, at times, compelling, even if it won't take a Pekingese long to work out where the plot is going.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 19, 2019

If there are to be more sequels, I'm hoping that future Baileys cut the chat and hark back to a time when heroism trumped cuteness and movie dogs left the punchlines to the human members of the cast.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 19, 2019

It's all sweet, silly and kind of spooky as it was the first time around.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 15, 2019

There is so much obvious emotional manipulation occurring in 'A Dog's Journey,' you may as well be handed a box of tissues and a fluffy pillow when you enter the cinema.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 14, 2019

It is the sequel to the 2017 film A Dog's Purpose, but the new film stands on its own.

Full Review | Jul 30, 2019

The film is aimed at those who turn their long-suffering pets into emotional prosthetics, characterized by unconditional surrender to their masters. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jul 2, 2019

Sure it's a whole lot of fluff, but you just can't help but go along and pet this story as it strolls along.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 15, 2019

'A Dog's Journey' has more bite than you might think.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 5, 2019

A Dog's Journey is a series of moments, tenuously connected with little impact or consequence, with Josh Gad narrating the whole thing in an increasingly irritating juvenile tone.

Full Review | May 27, 2019

A stale melodrama that doesn't exhibit much bite, much bark, or, really, much of anything.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 24, 2019

Warmhearted story about a reincarnated dog through several lives. And let's hear it for the dog actors, these guys are award worthy.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | May 24, 2019

I think it works better than the original due to following one character over the years rather than many, thus making it feel more cohesive rather than disjointed. (Full Content Review for Parents - Violence, Tense Family Material, etc. - Available)

Full Review | May 24, 2019

A Dog's Journey exists solely to allow moviegoers to feel feelings about dogs for 108 minutes. It is saccharine and unrelentingly sentimental, gleefully pushing emotional buttons.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 23, 2019

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'A Dog's Journey': Review

By Fionnuala Halligan, Chief Film Critic 2019-05-01T18:36:00+01:00

Beware of the dog

Source: Joe Lederer/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

A Dog’s Journey

Dir/scr: Gail Manusco. US. 2019. 108 mins.

All dogs certainly go to heaven in A Dog’s Journey , the follow-up to A Dog’s Purpose . After multiple heart-wrenching departures, they gambol through a golden wheat-filled field of dreams before being reincarnated as yet another version of Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad). This tale of canine devotion through the ages is so doggedly aimed at teenage girls it even has K-pop romantic lead Henry Lau to add to all the puppies.

A big, wet, sloppy lick of a film that’s going to jerk your tears, and then some.

A Dog’s Journey is certainly manipulative - humans aren’t safe here either, with a significant cancer side-plot. At times, it even seems obsessed by death. Yet there’s something oddly cathartic about sobbing your way through this film , with its mash-up of Buddhism and All-American values. (Childhood sweethearts are highly valued in this budding franchise, and Bailey is, after all, a guardian angel.) It could sit up commercially: under the solid if treacly direction of Gail Manusco Journey is better than its predecessor and, yes, the dogs are all adorable. This may be significant off-leash, long-tail counter-programming in the age of Avengers.

Adapted by W. Bruce Cameron and several collaborators from his own novel, Journey reunites the viewer with Bailey, a Pyrenees Mountain Dog, and his owners Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger), whose story was told in the first film (although it’s not necessary to have seen Purpose ). Their son has died in an unspecified accident, leaving behind a young widow Gloria (Betty Gilpin, excellent) and her toddler daughter CJ  in the idyllic farm Ethan has inherited. Bailey is getting old, as is Ethan. 

When Gloria, a self-obsessed frustrated singer who is overly fond of the chardonnay, takes CJ away to a life we know will be very difficult without her loving grandparents, Ethan charges the dying Bailey with seeking out the young girl and protecting her. This is – arguably, because there’s a lot to choose from – the film’s most emotional scene. Thankfully, however, it’s quickly followed by a fluffy puppy, as Bailey is sequentially reincarnated as Molly, Big Dog and Max.

They’ve all got plenty to do. Gloria is horrible to CJ – played as a child by Abby Ryder Fortson and later by Kathryn Prescott. She’s essentially abusive, leaving the child alone at night, bashing her self-confidence, and not believing when CJ is attacked by the local bad guy she briefly dates. Following on, perhaps, from Cameron’s other hit novel 8 Simple Rules About Dating My Teenage Daughter , there’s a lot in here about a young girl finding her self belief. Later on, she falls for another meanie who mocks her desire to be a singer (although, in fairness, she really isn’t that great.) The various dogs guide her back into the ambit of her childhood best friend, but more tragedy may be on its way.

Thank goodness for Gad’s voiceover, as Bailey cheerfully sniffs butts and waits for the bacon to drop. Sure, A Dog’s Journey is heavy-handed. Colours are only ever primary, the sun is always shining – unless a dog is dying – the music is drippily instructive, and every character is broad-brush, starting with the Chinese schoolboy whose parents make him study too much all the way through to boozehound single mum Gloria. Still, though. This is hardly one for the cynics. It’s a big, wet, sloppy lick of a film that’s going to jerk your tears, and then some. Beware of the dog. 

Production companies: Amblin Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment, Pariah

International distribution: Universal

Producer: Gavin Polone

Screenplay: W. Bruce Cameron, Catheryn Michon, Maya Forbes, Wally Wolodarsky, based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron

Cinematography: Roger Stoffers

Production design: Eric Fraser

Editing: Robert Komatsu

Music: Mark Isham

Main cast: Kathryn Prescott, Abby Ryder Fortson, Emma Volk, Josh Gad, Betty Gilpin, Marg Helgenberger, Henry Lau, Dennis Quaid, Ian Chen, Jack Manley, Daniela Barbosa, Conrad Coates

• United States

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A Dog’s Journey: Endearing Yet Kind Of Heartbreaking

Let’s just say some tears were shed during that A Dog’s Journey screening

There are two types of people in the world: those that love dogs and those that don’t. It seems like there is no in-between sometimes; you would either die for them or you couldn’t care less if they died. Following this train of thought, you’d think A Dog’s Journey would appeal to half of the world and the rest wouldn’t even bother—but this isn’t the case. There’s so much more to the story that the reincarnation journey of a dog.

I myself am a dog person on the surface level. I like to play and I like to pet, but I have never thought of a dog as my child. As an alternate, the friend I brought to the screening is—by all exaggerated means—a dog person. She was excited yet scared for the film; I thought I was just in for a fun and lighthearted watch. We were both pleasantly surprised.

RELATED: What Dog Breed Are You?

At the start of the film, we see a family of five: Ethan (Dennis Quaid), wife Hannah (Marg Helgenberger), daughter-in-law Gloria (Betty Gilpin), granddaughter CJ and their dog, Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad). All seems picture-perfect—until Gloria feels suffocated, misunderstood and so completely judged that she decides to move and takes CJ with her.

Suddenly, it’s a more solemn family of three…and then two as Bailey’s age gets the better of him. As before he goes, Ethan tells him to find CJ in his next life and asks his beloved dog to help her.  And just like the good boy that he is, Bailey does find CJ—over and over and over again.

You use, A Dog’s Journey is very much like its predecessor, 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose . We’re just following a different child, watching man’s best friend be someone else’s savior. So why watch it anyway?

https://giphy.com/gifs/a-dogs-journey-cURhQYmrqV8mUreklu

https://giphy.com/gifs/a-dogs-journey-fdRJRJD9gVfYgwuEcy

RELATED: Pokémon Detective Pikachu Hinges On Our Need For Nostalgia

Here’s why: It’s still a damn good movie to watch. Its story will take you on a rollercoaster ride with every dog’s death and every inevitable reunion. You’ll root for Bailey (and all the versions of Bailey) every step of the way and you’ll smile as you watch CJ’s life fall into place. Besides, who doesn’t love a feel-good film where every shitty piece of life eventually shines itself into something good?

While there may not be anything noteworthy about the film—fairly certain we don’t have an Oscar contender here—it’s exactly what you need to start the weekend on a high note or if you need a little pick-me-up in the middle of a particularly grueling work week. It’s effective; trust us. I sat beside a friend that cried within the first twenty minutes (and continued to cry as the film went on) who still walked out the cinema feeling so much lighter. And what about me, this only-on-the-surface dog person? I didn't shed any tears, but I definitely enjoyed myself.

A Dog’s Journey is currently showing in cinemas. 

Art Alexandra Lara

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• DVD & Streaming

A Dog’s Journey

• Comedy , Drama , Kids

Content Caution

In Theaters

• May 17, 2019
• Voice of Josh Gad as Bailey the dog; Kathryn Prescott as C.J.; Betty Gilpin as Gloria; Marg Helgenberger as Hannah; Dennis Quaid as Ethan; Henry Lau as Trent

Home Release Date

• August 20, 2019
• Gail Mancuso

Distributor

• Universal Pictures

Movie Review

As Bailey sits in the kitchen, in his favorite spot by his favorite chair, the aging St. Bernard can’t help but think that life is good on his little farm. His boy, Ethan, well, isn’t quite a boy anymore. And his girl, Hannah, isn’t so girlish either. But that’s OK. There’s still sunshine to lie in, chores to help with, golden fields to romp through and a purpose to fulfill. Oh, and … bacon.

Yeah, bacon is definitely good.

And that’s why the littlest member of their pack, C.J., is one of Bailey’s favorites. That toddling girl is good at playing and snuggling. But she’s great at bacon. All Bailey has to do is wait by her chair at meal times, like now, and any number of treats will drop to the floor and into his domain. Yum. Good C.J.

Now C.J.’s mother, Gloria, isn’t so much fun. Or good. Or nice, even. But since she’s the one who brought CJ into the pack, everything else is forgiven.

Maybe it’s the fact that Gloria sleeps so long or talks endlessly into that tiny box in her hand. Maybe that’s what keeps her so unhappy. Maybe it’s that stuff she drinks that makes her smell funny most of the time. Or maybe it’s that Ethan and Hannah’s son hasn’t come home. He has been gone a long time it seems. (Of course, time is something a dog like Bailey doesn’t really understand very well.) It’s probably bacon. Gloria just needs more bacon. She ought to spend more time around C.J.

Bailey would share.

As Bailey sits and looks lovingly on, though, he can sense that things aren’t so good for the humans he protects and loves. And that feeling is soon proved out as Gloria starts to yell and begins to wave her arms anxiously and grabs C.J. out of her chair.

Then, before you know it, Gloria and little C.J. leave. And this leaves Ethan and Hannah so very sad. Bailey can sense their sorrow as plainly as he can remember the taste of bacon he’s no longer eating.

But soon, Bailey gets sick with a strange lump in his belly. And before Ethan can say, “Good boy, Boss Dog,” things have gotten worse. The lump hurts. Bailey isn’t hungry, even for bacon, anymore. He’s pretty sure that he’ll be leaving soon, too.

Ethan holds Bailey’s head and looks lovingly into his eyes and says nice, soothing things as the doctor lady sticks him with a small, sharp needle. And his time—that thing that dogs know so little of—runs out. “If you come back. You look out for our C.J. You hear me?” Ethan says as he strokes Bailey’s fur.

Bailey understands completely.

You see, this isn’t the first time Bailey has had to leave. He’s left and come back many times before in the form of one canine or another. He always returns and seeks after his purpose. But now, Bailey has a new purpose, a new goal.

Bailey will come back. He’ll come back for little C.J., whatever that takes. He’ll protect her. He’ll help her.

That’s his purpose now. And guiding C.J. as she grows up will be a remarkable journey for both of them.

Positive Elements

One of the biggest positives in this film is Ethan and Hannah’s loving relationship. It’s not that they don’t have their share of worry or disappointment and pain in life. They do. But throughout all of those many ups and downs, they display a consistent love and support for each other and for their family members. They even make repeated attempts to reach out to their estranged daughter-in-law, Gloria, after she leaves with little C.J.

That kind of unconditional consistency is very much a part of Bailey’s character, too. “Loving people is my purpose,” the beloved dog declares, voicing his narrator-like internal monologue throughout the film. He even wants the best for unlikeable people, wishing that Gloria might find a dog someday. “She needs love,” he opines—accurately. And the film likewise emphasizes that intention to see the best in others, to love and be loved, as valued aspirations for dogs and humans alike.

Through most of the film, Gloria is in desperate need of that loving lesson. She makes a number of self-destructive choices that drive an adult C.J. away. But eventually, Gloria comes to understand her failings and takes steps to clean up her life and to reconcile with her daughter.

C.J.’s long-lasting relationship with a friend named Trent is also a great representation of self-sacrificial love and consistency. At different stages, these two both step forward to support and care for each other, through sickness, health and ongoing storms in their respective lives.

There are certainly sad moments here as both beloved pets and beloved people pass away . But through those painful losses, the film gently reminds us that grief is a natural part of life—especially when you love someone. Loss is something we must face, embrace and learn from, it tells us.

Spiritual Elements

This film gently hints at a heaven and a reunion with loved ones after death. The spiritual message here isn’t well defined, but at the end of the film, in the doggy hero’s apparent last passing, Bailey runs to join a loving human who’s waiting for him in an open golden field, representing paradise.

Before that final passing, though, Bailey comes back over and over again, reborn repeatedly into the bodies of different kinds of dogs. Each rebirth is prefaced with him running through that golden field of grass. Bailey’s consciousness, however, is always the same, and he retains memories from previous existences.

How that rebirthing process works or what it means is never explored. What’s more, it’s never hinted at or insinuated that humans might have those same rebirthing experiences. In fact, Bailey’s meeting with a deceased beloved human in that heavenly field, would suggest just the opposite.

Sexual Content

Gloria wears a few cleavage-baring outfits. And while C.J. is only a young girl of 11, Gloria leaves her on her own as she heads out on late-night dates. In one case we see that she has brought the guy back home, and that he’s apparently slept over. Another brief relationship implies that a guy has moved in with Gloria. And later, a twentysomething C.J. is living with her boyfriend, though we never see them in any intimate moments.

After Bailey gets reincarnated the first time, he recognizes that he is now a girl puppy (played in a humorous way). We see couples kissing, something Bailey repeatedly describes as people “licking each other.”

Violent Content

We see various incarnations of Baily’s doggy selves die on several occasions. Once, it’s from cancer: he winces and comments about the pain he feels, and his painful decline prompts Ethan to (mournfully) have their vet put him to sleep. In another life, Baily and a teen C.J. are in a car chase that ends with C.J.’s vehicle being purposely rear-ended by another vehicle. Their car crashes and flips, and Bailey is critically injured (though bloodlessly so).

A toddler C.J. wanders into a horse paddock and is in danger of being stomped by a rearing horse before she’s saved by Bailey and Ethan. As both a teen and an adult, C.J. is grabbed roughly by two different guys. In the earlier incident, her shirt is ripped and it appears she might be physically harmed (or perhaps sexually assaulted) before Bailey bites the guy’s leg so that C.J. can pull away and run off.

One of Bailey’s incarnations is a small dog that tends to bite peoples finger’s to keep them at bay.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear one clearly voiced “oh god” as well as another potentially unfinished usage of that profanity. Characters also exclaim “oh my gosh” a couple of times. Trent mentions that his father got angry about something and did a lot of “swearing in Mandarin.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Gloria drinks heavily, repeatedly downing multiple glasses of chardonnay before and after leaving her 11-year-old daughter to fend for herself. We see her quite drunk in one scene and passed out in another, and it’s obvious that her relationships with her boyfriends are all alcohol related. A sleepover boyfriend fixes drinks for breakfast, for instance, etc. In fact, a teen C.J. reports that her mom is “drunk half the time.” And Gloria justifies her inebriated choices as being something that’s perfectly acceptable for an adult.

Eventually, though, Gloria assesses all that her choices have caused her to lose—including a relationship with C.J.—and she takes steps to get sober and fix her broken life.

In spite of her experience with her mom, C.J. agrees to go to a party with a boy she likes. The house is full of underage people drinking beer. The guy tries to coax her into drinking as well, but she’s not at all interested and is very uncomfortable being at the party. We also witness the sale of some kind of illicit drug at the party, a transaction that C.J.’s boyfriend is a part of. Before C.J. can leave the party, the police raid it and arrest her.

As mentioned, a veterinarian injects Bailey, who’s suffering from the growth of a tumor, with a chemical to put the animal to sleep.

Other Negative Elements

Plenty of dog-centric giggles involve backside sniffing, doggy destruction of property, dogs peeing and defecating on things.

Gloria repeatedly illustrates what a bad mom looks like: abandoning, emotionally abusing and even stealing from her daughter.

Like its predecessor, A Dog’s Purpose , this tear-jerking flick avoids nasty content as determinedly as the average mutt scorns a bath. In fact, this canine sequel is unquestionably of the same breed and straight out of the same litter as the original.

That being so, the story’s unexplained doggy reincarnation is likely the biggest issue that parents of faith will have to navigate with little viewers. Some critics have dog-tagged that pup-to-pup soul transfer as “Buddhism for beginners,” but this aspect of the film is actually handled in a pretty non-theological way: It’s simply used as a plot device to help move a somewhat nonsensical tale forward. In addition, the movie’s depiction of heaven as a dreamy golden field of grass could be a great way to talk to kids about what Christian families actually believe when it comes to the things of life, death and the afterlife.

Other than that, there’s a bit of car-crash peril, a struggle with alcoholism, an attempted assault and the sad deaths of both human and canine characters. It’s the sort of unsettling stuff that could ruffle the fur of the youngest dog lovers in your pack.

But if you can make it past those relatively minor barks and growls, you’ll find a warm story here. It not only speaks of the bonds between people and their pets, but it also takes the time to deal with very real issues of bereavement, brokenness, addiction, reconciliation and family commitment.

A Dog’s Journey is a sweet, loving and endearing pic. And it will certainly make you smile a little bigger when you get back home to your own joyous, tail-wagging buddy.

Like Bailey, we can make a strong commitment to love our family well and to help them through the ups and downs. For some ways to add a bit more bark or a little wag to your family, check out these Focus on the Family resources:

Building Family Identity

Navigating Tough Issues in Your Family, Part 1

Score One for the Family

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Home > A Dog’s Journey Ending Explained

A Dog’s Journey Ending Explained

• UPDATED: November 11, 2023

Table of Contents

Title: A Dog’s Journey: A Heartwarming Tale of Love, Loyalty, and Reincarnation

Introduction:

A Dog’s Journey is a heartwarming film that follows the journey of a loyal dog named Bailey as he reincarnates into multiple lives to fulfill his purpose of protecting and guiding his beloved owners. Directed by Gail Mancuso and based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron, this movie beautifully explores the themes of love, loyalty, and the unbreakable bond between humans and their furry companions. In this article, we will delve into the ending of A Dog’s Journey, highlighting its emotional impact and the messages it conveys.

Plot Summary:

The movie begins with Bailey, a lovable and mischievous dog, living with his owner Ethan and his wife Hannah. As Bailey grows older, he passes away but is soon reincarnated as a different dog, Molly, who finds her way into the life of Ethan and Hannah’s granddaughter, CJ. Throughout the film, Bailey continues to be reborn into different dogs, always finding his way back to CJ, who faces various challenges and struggles in her life.

Ending Explanation:

In the final act of the movie, CJ, now a young adult, faces a difficult decision regarding her future. She has been offered a job opportunity in New York City, which would mean leaving behind her boyfriend Trent and her beloved dog, Max, who is actually the reincarnated Bailey. CJ is torn between pursuing her dreams and staying with her loved ones.

As CJ contemplates her decision, Max/Bailey senses her inner turmoil and decides to take matters into his own paws. He escapes from CJ’s house and embarks on a journey to find her estranged mother, Gloria. Max/Bailey believes that reconnecting CJ with her mother will help her find the guidance and support she needs to make the right choice.

Max/Bailey eventually finds Gloria and leads her back to CJ. The reunion between mother and daughter is emotional and cathartic, as they both express their regrets and desire to rebuild their relationship. This pivotal moment allows CJ to gain a newfound perspective on life and the importance of family.

With her mother back in her life, CJ realizes that she doesn’t need to sacrifice her dreams to maintain her relationships. She decides to accept the job offer in New York City, but not before making arrangements for Max/Bailey to stay with her boyfriend Trent, ensuring that he will be loved and cared for.

The film concludes with CJ bidding a tearful farewell to Max/Bailey, expressing her gratitude for his unwavering love and support throughout her life. Max/Bailey, having fulfilled his purpose of protecting and guiding CJ, peacefully passes away, knowing that he has left a lasting impact on her life.

Themes and Messages:

The ending of A Dog’s Journey beautifully encapsulates the film’s central themes and messages. Firstly, it emphasizes the power of love and loyalty. Max/Bailey’s unwavering devotion to CJ, even across multiple lifetimes, showcases the unconditional love that dogs have for their owners. This theme resonates with audiences, reminding them of the special bond they share with their own pets.

Secondly, the ending highlights the importance of family and forgiveness. CJ’s reconciliation with her mother symbolizes the healing power of forgiveness and the ability to mend broken relationships. It serves as a reminder that family bonds can be repaired and strengthened with time and understanding.

Lastly, the ending conveys the message of pursuing one’s dreams while maintaining meaningful connections. CJ’s decision to accept the job offer in New York City demonstrates that it is possible to follow one’s aspirations without sacrificing the love and support of loved ones. This message encourages viewers to find a balance between personal growth and maintaining strong relationships.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the ending of A Dog’s Journey is a poignant and emotionally satisfying conclusion to a heartwarming tale. It showcases the power of love, loyalty, and forgiveness, leaving audiences with a renewed appreciation for the special bond between humans and their furry companions. The film’s messages of pursuing dreams while maintaining meaningful connections resonate deeply, reminding viewers of the importance of cherishing their loved ones. A Dog’s Journey is a must-watch for anyone seeking a heartwarming and uplifting cinematic experience.

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem defends her account of killing own dog in new book

South Dakota governor and Republican vice presidential contender Kristi Noem on Friday responded to a news report about a section of her forthcoming book where she describes killing her 14-month-old dog.

“We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm,” she said in a post to X above a headline from The Guardian , which obtained a copy of Noem's upcoming book, “No Going Back.”

The Guardian's article describes a section of Noem's book, set for release next month, in which she recounted shooting her dog after deciding it was “less than worthless” and “untrainable.”

In her account, Noem grabbed her gun and led the dog, named Cricket, to a gravel pit.

“It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done,” Noem wrote.

She then went on to kill a family goat, which she called “nasty and mean.” Noem also led the goat to a gravel pit, where she said her first shot wounded but did not kill the animal. She got another shell for her gun and killed the goat, according to the book.

Noem wrote that her daughter seemed confused when she came home from school, asking, “Hey, where's Cricket?”

NBC News has not obtained Noem's book or independently verified the section reported by The Guardian.

Noem was lambasted Friday on social media; some said they were “ horrified ,” while others posted pictures of their dogs .

The Biden campaign p osted p hotos of the president walking with the family dog Commander, who has had numerous biting incidents , and Vice President Kamala Harris cuddling a dog.

Noem is widely viewed as a top contender to be Trump's running mate. She is in her second term as South Dakota governor, and she previously served as the state's lone representative in the U.S. House.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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Every Place Taylor Swift References in Tortured Poets Department , from the Black Dog to the Heath

Here's a dissection of the specific places Taylor Swift mentions in "The Tortured Poets Department" song lyrics, including The Chelsea Hotel

Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Getty

Taylor Swift has processed her emotions around the world.

The pop superstar released The Tortured Poets Department on April 19, her eagerly anticipated album she described as an " anthology of new works " that reflect a "fleeting and fatalistic" period in her life that has ended.

After dropping the expected body of work at midnight, Swift surprised fans two hours later by announcing that TTPD is a secret double album . The second installment consists of 15 additional songs.

Within each of Swift's 31 tracks — with a total run time over two hours — are intricately detailed stories from past relationships laced with longing and heartache .

While the singer-songwriter explicitly mentions many of the locations in which she sorted through her feelings throughout those moments, she leaves it up to listeners to decode who the past lover is that she's referencing — in classic Swift fashion.

Fans have already connected songs to  her ex Joe Alwyn  and The 1975 frontman  Matty Healy , as well as  her current boyfriend Travis Kelce . Swift also name-drops celebrities like Charlie Puth , Stevie Nicks , and Jack Antonoff — in addition to singing about fellow "tortured poets."

Read on for all the real places Taylor Swift mentions in The Tortured Poets Department , including where she's experienced highs and lows, love and heartache.

Swift announced that “Fortnight,” featuring  Post Malone , is the first single off The Tortured Poets Department . The state of Florida is mentioned in the lyrics.

"Going to Florida by the car you won / But it won’t start up till you touch, touch, touch me," writes Swift.

When speaking with iHeartRadio, Swift said "Fortnight” is a song that "exhibits a lot of the common themes that run throughout this album, one of which being fatalism, longing, pining away, lost dreams." She said that she "always imagined" the song being set in an "American town where the American Dream you thought would happen to you didn't."

Florida is seemingly a recurring place of escape for the singer, at least metaphorically within TTPD album. In fact, the eighth song on the track is simply titled " Florida!!! " (featuring Florence + The Machines).

"'Florida!!!' is a song I wrote with Florence + The Machine, and I think I was coming up with this idea of like, what happens when your life doesn’t fit, or your choices you’ve made catch up to you," Swift told iHeartRadio of creating the track.

The singer highlighted how at times in life "you’re surrounded by these harsh consequences and judgment, and circumstances did not lead you to where you thought you’d be and you just want to escape from everything you’ve ever known," leading one to question "is there a place you could go?"

Swift also explained she is "always watching"  Dateline  and noticed how "people have these crimes that they commit, where do they immediately skip town and go to? They go to Florida."

The Chelsea Hotel

The album's title track, "The Tortured Poets Department," mentions The Chelsea Hotel in its lyrics.

"I laughed in your face and said / 'You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith' / This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots," writes Swift.

The Chelsea Hotel is a famed landmark in New York City. The 12-story Manhattan hotel, which was built in the late 19th century, famously housed writers, painters, authors and socialites. Thomas and Smith, both renowned writers in their own right, lived in the hotel.

It reopened in 2022 after a 12-year-long renovation and was just named one of the 21 best hotels in New York by Travel + Leisure.

Swift admits in "Down Bad" that she lets her emotions out in the gym. (She previously detailed her tour prep to  Time , sharing  she trained at Dogpound ).

"Now I’m down bad, crying at the gym / Everything comes out teenage petulance / F—k it if I cant have him," she writes on the album's fourth track.

The Heath in London

"So Long, London" is one of the most heart-wrenching tracks on TTPD . The song's lyrics detail Swift's attempt at saving a failing relationship and the loneliness she dealt with during that time.

"I stopped trying to make him laugh/ Stopped trying to drill the safe," she sings. (In her  Time  cover interview, Swift opened up about moving to a "foreign country" — likely the U.K., where she often spent time with Alwyn — amid her  public feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian .)

Later in the "So Long, London" lyrics, Swift makes a reference to "the house in the Heath" she left behind. A heath is technically an uncultivated ground where grass and small plants grow, but Hampstead Heath is also a notable London park and the adjacent neighborhood of Hampstead is home to many celebrities.

This isn't the first time Swift has made mention of the location in one of her songs. On "London Boy" off 2019's Lover, she sings "Like a Tennessee Stella McCartney on the Heath."

The Black Dog

The Black Dog 

The Black Dog is a real bar in London, and also the title of a TTPD bonus track. The lyrics tell the story of a person she watches enter the bar, a move that seemingly betrays her.

"I am someone who until recent events / You shared your secrets with / And your location, you forgot to turn it off," she writes in verse one. "And so I watch as you walk / Into some bar called The Black Dog / And pierce new holes in my heart," she continues.

Swift reiterates that this person "forgot to turn it off," likely in reference to their location tracking on their phone. In the chorus, she goes on to say, "I just don't understand how you don't miss me / In The Black Dog, when someone plays 'The Starting Line.'

"The Starting Line" is mentioned a few times within the album, possibly in reference to the band often covered by The 1975. Within the song, Swift writes about this person meeting a girl at the bar, but she's too young to know the pop-punk band from the early 2000s.

Central Park

Swift mentions the lake in New York's Central Park when singing "The Bolter," the last song on the album. She sings, "When it's all roses, portrait poses / Central Park Lake in tiny rowboats / What a charming Saturday."

The singer previously teased to the crowd during her Melbourne tour stop on The Eras Tour earlier this year. Swift told the crowd her latest work was something that she "needed" to make.

"It was really a lifeline for me — just the things that I was going through, the things that I was writing about ... it kind of reminded me why songwriting actually gets me through my life," she said. "I've never had an album that I needed songwriting more than I needed it on  Tortured Poets ."

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House Approves $95 Billion Aid Bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

After months of delay at the hands of a bloc of ultraconservative Republicans, the package drew overwhelming bipartisan support, reflecting broad consensus.

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By Catie Edmondson

Reporting from the Capitol

The House voted resoundingly on Saturday to approve $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as Speaker Mike Johnson put his job on the line to advance the long-stalled aid package by marshaling support from mainstream Republicans and Democrats.

In four back-to-back votes, overwhelming bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers approved fresh rounds of funding for the three U.S. allies, as well as another bill meant to sweeten the deal for conservatives that could result in a nationwide ban of TikTok.

The scene on the House floor reflected both the broad support in Congress for continuing to help the Ukrainian military beat back Russia, and the extraordinary political risk taken by Mr. Johnson to defy the anti-interventionist wing of his party who had sought to thwart the measure. Minutes before the vote on assistance for Kyiv, Democrats began to wave small Ukrainian flags on the House floor, as hard-right Republicans jeered.

How the House Voted on Foreign Aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

Here’s how each member of the House voted on the foreign aid bills.

The legislation includes $60 billion for Kyiv; $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific region. It would direct the president to seek repayment from the Ukrainian government of $10 billion in economic assistance, a concept supported by former President Donald J. Trump, who had pushed for any aid to Kyiv to be in the form of a loan. But it also would allow the president to forgive those loans starting in 2026.

It also contained a measure to help pave the way to selling off frozen Russian sovereign assets to help fund the Ukrainian war effort, and a new round of sanctions on Iran. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday and send it to President Biden’s desk, capping its tortured journey through Congress.

“Our adversaries are working together to undermine our Western values and demean our democracy,” Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Saturday as the House debated the measure. “We cannot be afraid at this moment. We have to do what’s right. Evil is on the march. History is calling and now is the time to act.”

“History will judge us by our actions here today,” he continued. “As we deliberate on this vote, you have to ask yourself this question: ‘Am I Chamberlain or Churchill?’”

The vote was 311 to 112 in favor of the aid to Ukraine, with a majority of Republicans — 112 — voting against it and one, Representative Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, voting “present.” The House approved assistance to Israel 366 to 58; and to Taiwan 385 to 34, with Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, voting “present.” The bill to impose sanctions on Iran and require the sale of TikTok by its Chinese owner or ban the app in the United States passed 360 to 58.

“Today, members of both parties in the House voted to advance our national security interests and send a clear message about the power of American leadership on the world stage,” Mr. Biden said. “At this critical inflection point, they came together to answer history’s call, passing urgently needed national security legislation that I have fought for months to secure.”

Minutes after the vote, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine thanked lawmakers, singling out Mr. Johnson by name “for the decision that keeps history on the right track.”

“Democracy and freedom will always have global significance and will never fail as long as America helps to protect it,” he wrote on social media. “The vital U.S. aid bill passed today by the House will keep the war from expanding, save thousands and thousands of lives, and help both of our nations to become stronger.”

Outside the Capitol, a jubilant crowd waved Ukrainian flags and chanted, “Thank you U.S.A.” as exiting lawmakers gave them a thumbs-up and waved smaller flags of their own.

For months, it had been uncertain whether Congress would approve new funding for Ukraine, even as momentum shifted in Moscow’s favor. That prompted a wave of anxiety in Kyiv and in Europe that the United States, the single biggest provider of military aid to Ukraine, would turn its back on the young democracy.

And it raised questions about whether the political turmoil that has roiled the United States had effectively destroyed what has long been a strong bipartisan consensus in favor of projecting American values around the world. The last time the Congress approved a major tranche of funding to Ukraine was in 2022, before Republicans took control of the House.

With an “America First” sentiment gripping the party’s voter base, led by Mr. Trump, Republicans dug in last year against another aid package for Kyiv, saying the matter should not even be considered unless Mr. Biden agreed to stringent anti-immigration measures. When Senate Democrats agreed earlier this year to legislation that paired the aid with stiffer border enforcement provisions, Mr. Trump denounced it and Republicans rejected it out of hand.

But after the Senate passed its own $95 billion emergency aid legislation for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan without any immigration measures, Mr. Johnson began — first privately, then loudly — telling allies that he would ensure the U.S. would send aid to Kyiv.

In the end, even in the face of an ouster threat from ultraconservative members, he circumvented the hard-line contingent of lawmakers that once was his political home and relied on Democrats to push the measure through. It was a remarkable turnabout for a right-wing lawmaker who voted repeatedly against aid to Ukraine as a rank-and-file member, and as recently as a couple of months ago declared he would never allow the matter to come to a vote until his party’s border demands were met.

In the days leading up to the vote, Mr. Johnson began forcefully making the case that it was Congress’s role to help Ukraine fend off the advances of an authoritarian. Warning that Russian forces could march through the Baltics and Poland if Ukraine falls, Mr. Johnson said he had made the decision to advance aid to Kyiv because he “would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.”

“I think this is an important moment and important opportunity to make that decision,” Mr. Johnson told reporters at the Capitol after the votes. “I think we did our work here and I think history will judge it well.”

Mr. Johnson structured the measures, which were sent to the Senate as one bill, to capture different coalitions of support without allowing opposition to any one element to defeat the whole thing.

“I’m going to allow an opportunity for every single member of the House to vote their conscience and their will,” he had said.

In a nod to right-wing demands, Mr. Johnson allowed a vote just before the foreign aid bills on a stringent border enforcement measure, but it was defeated after failing to reach the two-thirds majority needed for passage. And the speaker refused to link the immigration bill to the foreign aid package, knowing that would effectively kill the spending plan.

His decision to advance the package infuriated the ultraconservatives in his conference who accused Mr. Johnson of reneging on his promise not to allow a vote on foreign aid without first securing sweeping policy concessions on the southern border. It prompted two Republicans, Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Paul Gosar of Arizona to join a bid by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia to oust Mr. Johnson from the top job.

Ms. Greene claimed the Ukraine aid bill supported “a business model built on blood and murder and war in foreign countries.”

“We should be funding to build up our weapons and ammunition, not to send it over to foreign countries,” she said before her proposal to zero out the money for Kyiv failed on a vote of 351 to 71.

Much of the funding for Ukraine is earmarked to replenish U.S. stockpiles after shipping supplies to Kyiv.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, Congress has appropriated $113 billion in funding to support Ukraine’s war effort. $75 billion was directly allocated to the country for humanitarian, financial and military support, and another $38 billion in security assistance-related funding was spent largely in the United States, according to the Institute for Study of War , a Washington-based research group.

Hard-right Republican opposition to the legislation — both on the House floor and in the critical Rules panel — forced Mr. Johnson to rely on Democrats to push the legislation across the finish line.

“If Ukraine does not receive this support that it requires to defeat Russia’s outrageous assault on its sovereign territory, the legacy of this Congress will be the appeasement of a dictator, the destruction of an allied nation and a fractured Europe,” said Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “Gone will be our credibility, in the eyes of our allies and of our adversaries. And gone will be the America that promised to stand up for freedom, democracy, and human rights, wherever they are threatened or wherever they are under attack.”

Thirty-seven liberal Democrats opposed the $26 billion aid package for Israel because the legislation placed no conditions on how Israel could use American funding, as the death toll in Gaza has reached more than 33,000 and the threat of famine looms. That showed a notable dent in the longstanding ironclad bipartisan backing for Israel in Congress, but was a relatively small bloc of opposition given that left-wing lawmakers had pressed for a large “no” vote on the bill to send a message to Mr. Biden about the depth of opposition within his political coalition to his backing for Israel’s tactics in the war.

“Sending more weapons to the Netanyahu government will make the U.S. even more responsible for atrocities and the horrific humanitarian crisis in Gaza which is now in a season of famine,” said Representative Jonathan L. Jackson, Democrat of Illinois.

Carl Hulse , Annie Karni , and Kayla Guo contributed reporting from Washington and Marc Santora from Kyiv.

Catie Edmondson covers Congress for The Times. More about Catie Edmondson

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Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book

South Dakota governor includes bloody tale in campaign volume – and admits ‘a better politician … wouldn’t tell the story here’

• Who will be Trump’s VP? A shortlist

In 1952, as a Republican candidate for vice-president, Richard Nixon stirred criticism by admitting receiving a dog, Checkers , as a political gift.

In 2012, as the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney was pilloried for tying a dog , Seamus, to the roof of the family car for a cross-country trip.

But in 2024 Kristi Noem , a strong contender to be named running mate to Donald Trump , the presumptive Republican nominee, has managed to go one further – by admitting killing a dog of her own.

“Cricket was a wirehair pointer, about 14 months old,” the South Dakota governor writes in a new book, adding that the dog, a female, had an “aggressive personality” and needed to be trained to be used for hunting pheasant.

What unfolds over the next few pages shows how that effort went very wrong indeed – and, remarkably, how Cricket was not the only domestic animal Noem chose to kill one day in hunting season.

Noem’s book – No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward – will be published in the US next month. The Guardian obtained a copy.

Like other aspirants to be Trump’s second vice-president who have ventured into print , Noem offers readers a mixture of autobiography, policy prescriptions and political invective aimed at Democrats and other enemies, all of it raw material for speeches on the campaign stump.

She includes her story about the ill-fated Cricket, she says, to illustrate her willingness, in politics as well as in South Dakota life, to do anything “difficult, messy and ugly” if it simply needs to be done.

By taking Cricket on a pheasant hunt with older dogs, Noem says, she hoped to calm the young dog down and begin to teach her how to behave. Unfortunately, Cricket ruined the hunt, going “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life”.

Noem describes calling Cricket, then using an electronic collar to attempt to bring her under control. Nothing worked. Then, on the way home after the hunt, as Noem stopped to talk to a local family, Cricket escaped Noem’s truck and attacked the family’s chickens, “grabb[ing] one chicken at a time, crunching it to death with one bite, then dropping it to attack another”.

Cricket the untrainable dog, Noem writes, behaved like “a trained assassin”.

When Noem finally grabbed Cricket, she says, the dog “whipped around to bite me”. Then, as the chickens’ owner wept, Noem repeatedly apologised, wrote the shocked family a check “for the price they asked, and helped them dispose of the carcasses littering the scene of the crime”.

Through it all, Noem says, Cricket was “the picture of pure joy”.

“I hated that dog,” Noem writes, adding that Cricket had proved herself “untrainable”, “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog”.

“At that moment,” Noem says, “I realised I had to put her down.”

Noem, who also represented her state in Congress for eight years, got her gun, then led Cricket to a gravel pit.

“It was not a pleasant job,” she writes, “but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realised another unpleasant job needed to be done.”

Incredibly, Noem’s tale of slaughter is not finished.

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Her family, she writes, also owned a male goat that was “nasty and mean”, because it had not been castrated. Furthermore, the goat smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid” and “loved to chase” Noem’s children, knocking them down and ruining their clothes.

Noem decided to kill the unnamed goat the same way she had just killed Cricket the dog. But though she “dragged him to a gravel pit”, the goat jumped as she shot and therefore survived the wound. Noem says she went back to her truck, retrieved another shell, then “hurried back to the gravel pit and put him down”.

At that point, Noem writes, she realised a construction crew had watched her kill both animals. The startled workers swiftly got back to work, she writes, only for a school bus to arrive and drop off Noem’s children.

“Kennedy looked around confused,” Noem writes of her daughter, who asked: “Hey, where’s Cricket?”

On Friday, reaction to news of Noem’s description of killing her dog and her goat included satire, the Barack Obama adviser turned podcaster Tommy Vietor calling the governor “Jeffrey Dahmer with veneers”, a reference to a famous serial killer and a recent scandal over Noem’s cosmetic dentistry treatment .

But most responses, particularly from dog lovers and people who hunt with dogs, simply expressed disgust.

Rick Wilson, of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, called Noem “deliberately cruel” and “trash”. Ryan Busse, the Democratic candidate for governor of Montana, said : “Anyone who has ever owned a birddog knows how disgusting, lazy and evil this is. Damn.”

Noem herself posted a screengrab of the Guardian report – and an admission that she recently “put down three horses”.

“We love animals,” she said, “but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down three horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.”

The governor also said her book contained “more real, honest and politically incorrect stories that’ll have the media gasping”.

In the book, however, she sums up her story about Cricket the dog and the unnamed, un-castrated goat with what may prove a contender for the greatest understatement of election year: “I guess if I were a better politician I wouldn’t tell the story here.”

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• US elections 2024
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