![]() ![]() When poor Petey is sent to the dog pound after being blamed for eating Mr. The episode is even more satisfying when the stepmother gets her comeuppance at the end. It is a perfect example of the relationship between a kid and his beloved dog that was played over time and time again in “The Little Rascals.” Even though Wheezer is a victim of unfortunate circumstance, everyone watching can delight in the scene where Wheezer wakes up and plays with Petey in his bed. ![]() Wheezer again takes center stage with Petey in “Dogs is Dogs,” where Wheezer is being raised by his mean stepmother who doesn’t take a liking to either him or Petey, who she calls “nothing but an alley dog,” as opposed to her son Sherwood’s dog Nero, a German Shepherd. And while the symbolism isn’t lost on me, it’s the relationship between Wheezer and his puppies that is so moving and poignant. Then the church bell rings and the puppies come running and pile on Wheezer! It is an incredible moment and still makes me tear up. Wheezer finally ends up on the church steps, despondent, crying for his lost puppies. He searches everywhere for his beloved puppies and rings bells wherever he is, but to no avail. When Wheezer loses his bell, he also loses his pups, which run to follow every bell they hear. Wheezer’s genuine affection for his puppies is heartwarming and makes for some great moments in the short. One of the most endearing episodes is “Pups is Pups,” where Wheezer has a litter of pit bull puppies that come running to him when they hear a bell ring. Although a few other dogs played Petey, Lucenay’s was the best known. The dog was also UKC registered under the name Purple Ribbon Peter. The AKC recognized the APBT as a breed, but in 1935 changed the name to Staffordshire Terrier, and many say Pete was among the first to be registered in that name. Pete was an American Pit Bull Terrier and was registered with the American Kennel Club as a Staffordshire Terrier. But Harry was breeding a Petey line, and Pal’s son, Pete, began to appear in the shorts at age 6 months. Unfortunately, Pal was poisoned, probably by someone with a grudge against Harry. Hal Roach, the Our Gang producer, had no choice but to leave the ring around Petey’s eye when he appeared in “The Little Rascals” soon after. Pal did have a ring around most of his eye, and makeup was used to finish it off when he appeared as Tige in the Buster Brown movies. Petey was first played by Pal, whose guardian and trainer was Harry Lucenay. Whether Petey was paired with Wheezer, Stymie, Spanky or another kid, he was there to help them, protect them, entertain them and slather them with affection. Watching the shorts, it’s easy to see just why pit bulls like Petey were considered nanny dogs. “The Little Rascals” was filmed in the 1920s and ’30s, when pit bulls were America’s dog. With his trademark ring around his eye, Petey not only joined the kids in their antics, he proved to be an incredible friend to the gang. If you’re like me, growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, you watched “The Little Rascals.” And no one can think about Our Gang, as they were originally known, without thinking of Petey the pup. ![]()
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