A Dog’s Way Home tells the story of Bella, a beautiful dog who becomes separated from her beloved human family and embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home. For those of us who have despaired at films filled with ear-splitting explosions or salacious storylines, A Dog’s Way Home will be a breath of fresh air (indeed you can almost feel the fresh air as Bella travels through wonderful scenery beautifully filmed). But this is more than a feel-good movie for dog-lovers, as it illustrates important lessons for our own journey through life.

Though Bella is ceaselessly focused on her goal, yet she still stops to provide comfort and support to those she meets along the way. And, although her love for others is unconditional, the help she provides subsequently leads to assistance for herself in her own time of need. Sometimes this is reciprocated directly, as with the orphaned baby cougar whom she adopts and feeds. At other times the benefit is tangential, as with the man she digs out of an avalanche. But, in each case, her gift of love is selfless and the benefit is serendipitous.

Written by the animal-loving husband and wife team Bruce Cameron and Cathryn Michon, this film does not claim to be a true story, but the underlying principles certainly are true-to-life. And it might cause us to reflect upon how we, as humans, treat others. When we are resolutely focused on a goal, how should we respond to the needs of those we meet along the way? Might apparent distractions turn out to be blessings in disguise?