Pound Puppies are cuddly toys that were primarily produced in the 1980s. The puppies are plush stuffed dogs with droopy eyes and floppy ears that were brown, white, or gray in color. Each one was sold with a cardboard doghouse and an adoption certificate. They also have a “PP” logo on a heart shaped or bone emblem on the tail.

Mike Bowling created the Pound Puppies in 1984, and they were originally sold by Irwin Toy in Toronto, then Tonka started producing them for the US market. The line grew with the Pound Pur-r-ries cats and smaller versions of the dogs. Pizza Hut and Hardee’s offered a series of Pound Puppies with their children’s meals.

Pound Puppies were great successes in the toy market, leading to an animated TV special, two series, and a film. They were also featured in Little Golden Books, mini figures, and coloring books.

Pound Puppies were produced through the early 1990s, then saw a resurgence in the early 2000s with specific dog breeds. Funrise relaunched the toy line in 2014, then Basic Fun! offered them, starting in 2019. The latest version included Pound Puppies in the normal size, as well as small and extra large versions.