Tear Jerker / Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

• After the animals have been lost again, Jamie is beginning to cool down from his frustration with Chance's antics (and his life in general) and is feeling sorry about the way he treated Chance just before he left. As he and his family pile into a car, Jamie sees a boy and his dog playing catch in the rain.
• A simple one, but definitely effective for animal lovers. Shadow has just brought little Tucker out of his burning house and the boy knows that his pet kitten is still inside. (Luckily, Sassy saved it.)
  Tucker: Tiger's in there.
• Riley's past is also pretty heartbreaking, since it explains why he's so bitter and angry towards humans.
  • The sheer disregard the humans had for that little puppy. The kid didn't want to play with him right away, so what do they do?
    A. Give it time. ^note It takes time for a child and a new pet to bond.
    B. Put out an ad for anyone else looking for a puppy.
    C. Bring the puppy to a shelter or return him to wherever they got him.
    D. Abandon the poor thing on the side of the road to die.

    Delilah: But the little boy... he didn't seem to like Riley very much. He didn't want to hold him or play with him or anything. So later, they drove into the city and they left Riley in the gutter on the coldest, rainiest night of the year.

  • It's possible that they may have tried to give it time, but the boy just didn't want a dog.
  • Did they even ask beforehand if he wanted a pet?
    • Perhaps they tried to teach him responsibility. But it looks like the boy cares more about playing with toys, and probably sees taking care of a pet as "work".
  • It might not be much, but at least the parents decided to put Riley in a box with holes and a covering, so Riley could breathe and not get wet. Of course Riley would still be cold and it would still be raining, but think of how worst it would have been, if they just put Riley right out in the open with no shelter. Consider that. The way one want to think of it is that they at least did that for him, and do look at how disappointed they are after the boy rejected him. How disrespectful of that boy.
  • They may have also tried to give away Riley, but possibly no one wanted a dog either. And perhaps they couldn't get a refund from where they got him. And there was probably no nearby shelter available.
  • The junior novelization arguably makes it worse, because in that version, the kid rejects Riley because he wasn't the breed the kid had asked for.
• While Shadow and Sassy reunite with Peter and Hope, it looks like Chance was hit by a truck. Bob tries his best to break the bad news to Jamie gently, leaving his youngest son utterly devastated. Fortunately, Chance managed to dodge the truck, unharmed and a joyful reunion quickly follows.
• Chance's Heroic BSoD at home, when he thinks he can no longer ever see Delilah. She comes to him, and they reunite, but still.
  • Not to mention how heartbroken he was when she breaks up with him. Worse, he didn't even realize it was his fault that she nearly got hurt trying to save him (and proved himself that he won't survive in the streets), and her telling him it's over between them seem to come out of nowhere to him.
    Banjo: (to Delilah) Is your paw alright?
    Delilah: It's fine, Banjo.
    Chance: What happened to your paw?
    Banjo: You hush up! You nearly got us killed! Why don't you beat it?!
    Chance: Beat it?
    Delilah: Chance, he's right. You don't belong here in the city.
    Chance: Delilah, what are you saying?!
    Delilah: It was fun while it lasted, but let's face it, you're a pet.
    Chance: You can't be serious.
    Banjo: She is serious! About me. So get lost!

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