Tear Jerker / Dodger And Company

• Dodger's backstory is heartbreaking to say the least. As a puppy, his mother, Annie, was forced to abandon him, and he lived on the streets until he was taken in by Fagin and his gang of dogs. It's no wonder how throughout the story, he's quick to lash out, especially towards Annie.
• For that matter, Annie's backstory is pretty upsetting. It's bad enough she's struggling to find food and survive on the streets-and it's implied that she's lived on the streets for a VERY long time-her mate Duke is an emotionally-and physically-abusive fuck-off who treats her like shit, and only views her as useful for bringing him food and for sex, one encounter resulting in her becoming pregnant with Dodger and his siblings; sadly, Dodger's siblings die leaving him as a lone survivor. Annie's reason for abandoning her son are also incredibly upsetting: she was protecting him from Duke.
• The fact that the gang, who've stuck together through thick and thin, look like they're splintering apart, due to Dodger's frequent absences and arguments.
• The botched attempt at robbing the Foxworth house. You can imagine poor Jenny's reaction after her father rugby tackles Fagin to the ground and unmasking; the man who saved her from a vicious gangster and become her friend is now robbing her house.
• After the robbery, Rita and Dodger get into a particularly vicious argument, which then comes to physical blows. Oliver then gives Dodger a tearful What the Hell, Hero? speech, which causes him to instantly regret his decision.
• Annie's sacrifice. While battling Sykes's gangster friends in the apartment, one of them, Moretti, pulls a gun out and tries to shoot Dodger, but Annie takes the bullet instead. After the gangsters are arrested, Annie offers a tearful goodbye to the gang, Oliver, her younger pups, and Dodger. Mother and son reconcile before she passes away.
• On a happier tearjerker note, while Dodger no longer lives with the gang or The Foxworths, he's able to come and go as and when he wants.
• Annie's orphaned pups are still emotionally struggling in the aftermath of their mother's death, and frequently butt heads with Rita, who loves them, but is trying to balance being the de facto leader of the gang in Dodger's absence with being their maternal figure.
• Annie's youngest son Billy veers frequently into Woobie territory. His older siblings pick on him every chance they get, he feels Rita is too strict with him, and he is understandably bitter towards his older brother Dodger flaking on him. Is it any wonder he then turns to Dodger's bitter ex-friend Noah for support and approval?
  • His sacrifice also counts. He jumps in front of a speeding car and takes the hit for Dodger.
• Charlie's backstory, while not as fleshed out as Dodger or Annie's, is still pretty sad; much like his Dodger, he was abandoned by his mother as a puppy, but he at least had a loving father and grandfather-Dodger didn't even have that-but his father died when he was still young, leaving him alone.
• On another happier note, the birth of Dodger and Nancy's puppies. Dodger's unbridled happiness is palpable, showing that, despite his troubled background, Dodger could still be a loving, caring father.