When it comes to pop culture works, dogs are definitely one of the most represented animals. In fact, there are lots of major canine characters featured in films, television and other works. Oftentimes, these characters are portrayed as athletic and agile. For dogs with names meaning “fast”, perhaps one of the most popular is Bolt, from the 2008 animated film of the same name.

Bolt is a comedy-adventure film that was released by Walt Disney Pictures as its 48^th animated feature film. The titular character is Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), a White Shepherd dog who is the star of a television series and believes himself to possess “superpowers”. His name is in reference to the speed of a lightning bolt. When he thinks that his human owner, a girl named Penny, was kidnapped, he unwittingly goes on a cross-country trip in order to “save” her.

The story of Bolt starts when he was adopted by then-seven-year-old Penny. Half a decade later, the duo became the stars of a successful TV series entitled Bolt. Being the main character of the show, Bolt is portrayed to have different sets of skills and superpowers, which he uses frequently in order to rescue Penny from harm. To make things more realistic, the producers create an illusion that makes Bolt believe that the things happening in the show are true and that he truly possesses some superpowers, including his famous “superbark”.

When a cliffhanger episode ends with Penny being “kidnapped”, Bolt is led to believe that the kidnapping actually happened. Thus, he attempts to get out of his on-set trailer but he knocks himself out and was left trapped in a box that was going to be shipped to New York. After finding himself in a new city, Bolt slowly realizes that his so-called “superpowers” do not work in the real world. During his time in New York, Bolt befriends a stray cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino, who happens to be a fan of Bolt’s show. Throughout their time together, Mittens tries to explain to Bolt that he is just a regular dog and teaches him how to live a normal life and survive on the streets.

Even after coming to terms with his normalcy, Bolt chooses to return to Hollywood to find Penny, even after Mittens’ objections. When he arrives at the studio, he finds Penny acting affectionately towards a Bolt lookalike during rehearsals. Thinking that Penny abandoned him, Bolt walks away. However, Mittens overhears Penny talking about missing Bolt, which she then relates to Bolt. During this time, a commotion was caused by the new dog actor, resulting in a fire with Penny stuck inside. Bolt comes to Penny’s aid but she starts to suffocate. As a last cry for help, Bolt uses his “superbark”, which eventually led the firefighters to their spot. The film ends with Penny quitting the show and adopting both Mittens and Rhino.