The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

The 2016 animated comedy film The Secret Life of Pets (2016), produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures, follows the story of Max, a Jack Russell Terrier living with his owner Katie in a New York City apartment. When Katie adopts the mongrel Duke, Max becomes jealous. In an attempt to get rid of him, Duke leads Max into an alley where they are attacked by a group of cats led by Sphynx cat Ozone. Both dogs have their collars removed and are left to be caught by Animal Control. Duke fears for his life and doesn’t want to go back to the pound. Meanwhile, Gidget, a white Pomeranian who has feelings for Max, notices he is missing and sets out to find him. Eventually, they are rescued from Animal Control by Snowball, a white rabbit and leader of the ‘Flushed Pets’ – a gang of animals who hate humans for being abandoned by their owners.

After joining the Flushed Pets, Max and Duke’s true identity as domesticated animals is discovered by Snowball. In a frantic escape from the drains and onto a ferry to Brooklyn, they unintentionally kill a viper. This sets Snowball on a quest for revenge, as he leads his followers after the two dogs. Meanwhile, Gidget enlists Tiberius, a red-tailed hawk, to locate Max. However, Tiberius mistakenly finds Ozone instead. Gidget then persuades Ozone to share any information he knows about Max’s whereabouts. With this new knowledge, she gathers her team of Mel, Buddy, Chloe, guinea pig Norman, and Sweet Pea. Along the way, they meet Pops, an old Basset Hound who assists them in finding Max. Eventually, their search leads them to an encounter with Snowball where Norman ends up being captured while the rest of Gidget’s team manages to flee.