The film takes place in 1777, during the Revolutionary war, after the Americans were crushed by British General Howe. It tells the story of a dog that was lost on the battlefield, which was found by Americans in their camp and taken to General Washington due to the inscription on its collar. It appeared to belong to General Howe. While the soldiers were considering ways to use the dog to their advantage, General Washington decides to return it, making the point that even after all they’d suffered, dogs still bring out the good in people. We sign the film with Pedigree’s tagline Feed The Good.

This is a true story. The letter that General Washington wrote to accompany the dog still exists in the Library of Congress. In reports, General Howe called the return of his dog ‘the honorable act of a fine gentleman.’ The two Generals never fought again after that.

SUPER: On October 4, 1777, General Washington lost the Battle of Germantown to British General Howe.

We open on camp Valley Forge after the Battle of Germantown during the Revolutionary war. It’s gritty and dark. American soldiers, whipped and defeated, tend to wounds.

SFX: MUSIC PLAYS THROUGHOUT. HORSES

Cut to inside the main bunker, the camera floats to a grizzled General Washington, speaking to his aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton.

WASHINGTON: “What are the casualties?”

HAMILTON: “120 men sir.”

Cut to exterior where a small terrier is scampering around the camp, looking confused and scared, hungry.

CUT BACK TO HAMILTON INSIDE THE TENT

HAMILTON: “Fifty-seven from Cliveden alone.”

CUT TO YOUNG SOLDIER NOTICING DOG AS IT RUNS AROUND THE CAMP.

WASHINGTON: “Officers?”

HAMILTON: “Thirty.”

THE DOG RUNS TO THE YOUNG SOLDIERS, LOOKING FOR FOOD. THEY PICK HIM UP AND LOOK AT HIS COLLAR. THEY WALK WITH THE DOG TO WASHINGTON’S TENT.

YOUNG SOLDIER: “General Washington sir. We found this dog in the camp. We implore you to look at the collar.

The young soldiers carry the dog throughout the camp to General Washington’s tent as we hear his voice.

SOLDIER: General Washington, sir. We found this dog in the camp.

We implore you to look at the collar.”

CUT TO YOUNG SOLDIER INSIDE WASHINGTON’S TENT, LOOKING NERVOUS AND SCARED.

SOLDIER: “We believe it belongs to General Howe himself sir.”

CUT TO HAMILTON LOOKING UP, SURPRISED.

CUT TO SENIOR SOLDIER DRINKING COFFEE.

SENIOR SOLDIER: “What kind of fool loses his dog on the battlefield?”

CUT BACK TO HAMILTON AT HIS DESK

HAMILTON: “Keep him. We’ll use him as a mascot to rally the men.”

CUT BACK TO THE YOUNG SOLDIER STILL HOLDING THE DOG AS WE HEAR THE SENIOR SOLDIER SPEAK

SENIOR SOLDIER: “Place the dog at the vanguard. They’ll never shoot it.”

CUT TO ANOTHER SOLDIER WHO SUGGESTS SHOOTING THE DOG AS HE TOUCHES HIS NECK AND SMILES.

SOLDIER: “I say we shoot the mongrel ourselves.”

CUT TO THE FRIGHTENED YOUNG SOLDIER.

SFX: DOG WHIMPER

WASHINGTON: “Give me the animal.”

CUT TO THE FRIGHTENED SOLDIER AND DOG AND THEN

HAMILTON AS HE LOOKS AT WASHINGTON.

CUT TO A WIDE SHOT OF WASHINGTON’S TENT AS THE YOUNG SOLDIER RELEASES THE DOG AND IT WANDERS TO GENERAL WASHINGTON. HE PICKS UP THE DOG. CUT TO HIM HOLDING AND PETTING THE DOG. CUT TO REACTION SHOTS OF THE OTHER SOLDIERS AS THEY WAIT ANXIOUSLY TO SEE WHAT WASHINGTON WILL DO.

CUT BACK TO WASHINGTON.

WASHINGTON: “Send it back.”

YOUNG SOLDIER: “What?”

CUT TO WASHINGTON AS HE DICTATES INSTRUCTIONS TO HAMILTON

WASHINGTON: “Fly a flag of truce and return the dog to its rightful owner.

CUT TO HAMILTON SITTING AT HIS DESK WRITING WITH HIS QUILL.

HAMILTON: “General Howe scarcely showed us mercy at Cliveden, General, to say nothing of Paoli or Brandywine.”

WASHINGTON: “Mr. Hamilton, prepare (CUT TO WASHINGTON PETTING THE DOG) a note to accompany the dog.”

CUT TO CLOSE UP OF A RESIGNED HAMILTON WHO BEGINS TO WRITE.

HAMILTON: “Yes sir.”

CUT TO BRITISH SOLDIERS STANDING IN A FIELD LOOKING AT SOMETHING IN THE TELESCOPE.

WASHINGTON’S VOICE DICTATING OVER THE SCENE.

WASHINGTON: “General Washington’s compliments to General Howe.”

CUT TO A CLOSE UP SHOT OF THE CONFUSED BRITISH SOLDIERS LOOKING THROUGH A TELESCOPE AS WASHINGTON CONTINUES DICTATING THE LETTER.

WASHINGTON: “He does himself the pleasure to return to him a dog..”

THROUGH THE TELESCOPE WE SEE ONE OF WASHINGTON’S SOLDIERS ON HORSEBACK CARRYING A WHITE FLAG AND HOLDING THE DOG.

WASHINGTON: “which accidentally fell into his hands which appears to belong to General Howe…”

CUT TO THE BRITISH SOLDIER LOWERING THE TELESCOPE LOOKING SHOCKED.

WASHINGTON: “dated October 6th, 1777.”

CUT TO SUPER

SUPER: General Howe called the return of his dog the honorable act of a fine gentleman.

SUPER: Washington’s letter to General Howe still exists in the Library of Congress today.

SUPER: Dogs bring out the good in us.

SUPER: PEDIGREE LOGO LOCKUP

SUPER: Feed the good

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