Top 10: Live-Action Animal Buddy Movies

Kicking off our list is the tale of a boy named Josh and his unlikely sports partner. Josh has just moved to a small town, and is too shy to try out for the school basketball team. However, all this changes when he meets a runaway golden retriever named Buddy. The pooch is unnaturally talented at sports, and Josh ends up honing his own skills with his four-legged friend. Eventually, the duo impresses the sports team, and Buddy becomes their jersey-wearing mascot.

Before the Rise of the Planet of the Apes, there was the tale of a chimp named Jack. This primate is fluent in sign language, and is accidentally sent to Canada where he befriends a deaf girl. Soon enough, he wanders onto the ice during her brother’s hockey practice to find he is a natural at the sport. Jack is then drafted and takes the team to the championships.

A cat returns home from a day wandering the streets wearing a wristwatch. Its owner believes this is a vital clue to a recent kidnapping and robbery, and so she calls the FBI. An agent is assigned to the case, and he must contend with allergies as he tails the feline in order to locate the criminals.

A suburban family has everything they need. But when a missing puppy wanders into their lives they realize something was missing. Soon enough, the Saint Bernard grows into large, slobbering beast. Sure, he destroys their home, fills their shoes with drool and makes the father crazy, but they still come to his aid when an evil vet abducts him.

This film stars another dog with a face that only a mother could love. Here, a police officer adopts his friend’s pooch after his murder. As it turns out, the dog is not only the primary witness in the case, but also an untidy houseguest.

In this true story, a little girl and her family adopt a baby sea lion in the 1960s. Andre then grows up into a Hawaiian-shirt loving mischief-maker who loves to antagonize the local fisherman.

A teenager adopts a stray Golden Lab and names him Yellow. This proves to be the best decision he ever made as the pair becomes stranded far from civilization while on a boating trip. The pair must then survive the harsh elements with only each other as protection. While the boy builds shelter, Yellow defends him from wild animals.

Clint Eastwood is a trucker who fist-fights for money. After winning an orangutan in a prize match, he takes care of the sensitive primate who shares his passion for country music, beer and women.

A young orca whale is separated from his family and ends up in a marina. Soon enough, the depressed whale meets an equally troubled kid and the two become fast friends. The whale learns a number of tricks, but refuses to perform for an audience, so Jesse decides to reunite him with his family. Luckily, Willy makes an impossible jump and we get the happy ending, instead of seeing a boy turned into a pancake.

Rounding out our list is the most memorable animal pal of all time. Lassie stars in a series of films, but her first adventure is centered on a poor family who is forced to sell her to a Duke. However, love and friendship triumph as Lassie escapes and sets out on a long journey to reunite with her real family.