"Dog Gone" is based on the novel "Dog Gone: A Lost Pet's Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home" by Pauls Toutonghi, Fielding Marshall's brother-in-law. The film adaptation alters some of the real story's more tragic circumstances. In the film, Fielding adopts a dog to ease the pain of heartbreak. In reality, he adopted Gonker in 1991 to overcome the "oceanic wave of sadness" in the aftermath of his infant daughter's death (via The New York Post).
Gonker's journey on the Appalachian Trail, however, stays largely faithful to real life. In 1998, when Gonker was six years old, he ran off while on a hike. To make matters worse, Gonker suffered from Addison's disease and required monthly injections, making his swift return all the more urgent. The Marshall family searched tirelessly and attracted a local media frenzy. After fifteen long days, the dog was spotted near a ski resort 111 miles away.
Despite the heartbreaking premise, Lowe urged audiences to take a chance on the film, even providing a light spoiler that might make more people eager to watch "Dog Gone." "A lot of people said, 'I wanna see that movie, but not if the dog dies,'" he told Kelly Clarkson. "Dog does not die."
