Everyone loves a good underdog story, but sometimes, the underdog turns out to be an actual dog.
A scruffy, mixed-breed pup named Higgins made an incredible journey from a California animal shelter to Hollywood stardom. It’s the kind of heartwarming, made-for-TV story that audiences can’t help but love.
In 1960, renowned animal trainer Frank Inn rescued Higgins from the Burbank Animal Shelter in California after learning that the dog was at risk of being euthanized due to overcrowding.
The shaggy, brown-haired pooch, believed to be a mix of cocker spaniel, poodle and schnauzer, may not have looked like a traditional Hollywood leading man, but Inn saw something special in him.
And it didn’t take long for Higgins to prove he had star potential, as he landed a role on the CBS sitcom, Petticoat Junction 1963, playing a beloved family pup known simply as “Dog.”
Throughout the seven-season run, Higgins became a fan favorite, performing remarkable tricks like sneezing, yawning and reacting on cue.
“In this case it isn’t a dog performing, but a dog acting, just as humans act,” Variety wrote, per Turner Classic Movies.
After Petticoat Junction ended in 1970, Higgins’ career continued. He appeared in the 1971 film Mooch Goes to Hollywood before settling into a well-earned retirement.
However, his biggest role hadn’t even happened.
In 1973, filmmaker Joe Camp was searching for the perfect canine star for a movie he’d written about a lovable stray dog who helps rescue two kidnapped children and visited Inn’s property.
“I showed him 300 dogs,” Inn later said, per the LA Times, noting, “and he wasn’t very impressed. But as he was leaving, he spotted [Higgins] in the yard, and right away he said, ‘Now, that’s Benji.’”
And he was thrust back into the spotlight, despite his retirement status, playing the titular character in Benji, a film that hit theaters in 1974.
The family-friendly film became an unexpected box-office sensation, going on to earn a reported $45 million worldwide and ranking among the top-grossing films of 1974.
Higgins, a once-overlooked shelter dog, also became a household name and one of the most recognizable four-legged stars in Hollywood.
Sadly, he didn’t live long enough to enjoy the fame and fortune, as he passed away in 1975 at the age of 17 (though sources disagree on his exact age, as others note he was 19).
Higgins’ legacy lived on, however, as it’s reported that his daughter, Benjean, took over the role in the 1977 sequel and several subsequent films in the series.
In 1975, Higgins was also inducted into the American Humane Association’s Hall of Fame in 1975, joining Lassie as the only other honoree, TCM reported.
More than five decades after Benji (formerly Higgins) first captured the hearts of audiences everywhere, his story serves as a heartwarming reminder that sometimes, all anyone—human or pup—needs is to be seen and to be given a chance.