Wheeler's 10-year-old cousin, Joey, has to bury his six-month-old puppy. This and the following events lead the Planeteers to discover that Dr. Blight is running a puppy mill, selling sick animals.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- A Boy and His X: During his imprisonment, Joey bonds with one of the dogs Blight uses for breeding, naming her Lady and helping her rescue her puppy from the fire. And while both had to be taken away to be checked out for health issues, they ultimately pull through and are reunited with Joey.
- Absurdly Youthful Mother: Linka says that one of the dogs looks too young to be a mother. The sad fact is that puppy mill dogs are usually bred when they’re still puppies themselves.
- Bittersweet Ending: Dr. Blight has been defeated, her puppy mill is shut down, Joey is saved and Lady, her puppy, Slasher and Lasher pull through, allowing them to find loving homes. But it’s heavily implied that several of the captive dogs had to be put down due to health issues.
- Cruella to Animals: The episode shows Dr. Blight running a puppy mill, being cruel to her guard dogs, and otherwise showing that her lack of concern applies to animals too.
- Darker and Edgier: One of the more darker episodes of the series, due to the subject of animal abuse and cruelty, even resulting in the deaths of Joey’s puppy before the start of the episode and potentially many more at the end due to their health issues.
- Death of a Child: An animal variant; Joey's puppy, which wasn't even a year old, dies before the start of the episode.
- Distressed Dude: Dr. Blight keeps Joey prisoner at the puppy mill.
- The Dog Bites Back: Dr. Blight has a pair of guard dogs in the episode that she mistreats. Eventually, she finds herself at their mercy when the shock collars keeping them in line are removed.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Blight gets her Just Desserts at the end of this episode. While fleeing from Slasher and Lasher, she spots a police van up ahead and jumps inside, thinking the cop will protect her from the two dogs. However, the cop is smart enough to know she's the villain, and lets them in as well.
- Never Say "Die": The episode uses the terms "destroy" and "put down" when referring to dogs being euthanized, though it's justified due to this being explained to a 10-year-old boy.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Captain Planet is very understandably furious at the mistreatment the dogs had to endure when he's summoned.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: The episode's title refers to 101 Dalmatians, either the novel or the Disney film.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Blight and MAL pull this at the end after Slasher and Lasher’s shock collars are destroyed. But not before setting the mill on fire.
