In the late 1860s, Jim Coates leaves his family ranch in Salt Licks, Texas, to join a cattle drive to Kansas. He leaves his 14-year-old son, , in charge of his mother and younger brother, Arliss. Soon after, a "dingy yellow" dog—dubbed Old Yeller for his coat and human-like bark—shows up and steals some hanging meat. While Travis initially loathes the "rascal" and tries to drive him away, young Arliss immediately claims him as his own. Proving His Worth
The story of Old Yeller , originally a 1956 novel by Fred Gipson and a classic 1957 Disney film , is a powerful coming-of-age tale set in the Texas Hill Country after the Civil War. Old Yeller
Travis’s opinion of the dog changes as Old Yeller repeatedly saves the family from frontier dangers: In the late 1860s, Jim Coates leaves his
During a hog-tagging expedition, Travis falls into a pit of angry hogs; Old Yeller defends him, sustaining severe injuries in the process. A Heartbreaking Sacrifice While Travis initially loathes the "rascal" and tries
He saves Arliss from a mother black bear when the boy tries to catch her cub.
He helps Travis tame a wild milk heifer and assists in rounding up feral hogs .
The climax arrives when a rabid wolf attacks the family ranch. Old Yeller fights the wolf to protect Travis’s mother and their friend Lisbeth, but he is bitten during the struggle. Because of the incurable threat of rabies (hydrophobia) , Travis is forced to make the agonizing decision to shoot his best friend before the dog turns violent.