Lassie

[close] Lassie is one of the most famous fictional dogs in history. She is a female Rough Collie, known for her intelligence, determination, and character.
Eric Knight is accredited as the creator of Lassie. He introduced her in a magazine short story in 1938, which was so beloved that he expanded it to the full-length novel Lassie Come Home (1940). The novel tells the now classic Lassie story of the dog's brave trek over many miles to be reunited with the boy she loves.

Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fictional female collie of the same name, featured in the short story The Half Brothers (1859) by Elizabeth Gaskell. In this short story, Lassie is loved only by her young master, and guides the adults back to where two boys are lost in a snowstorm.

Knight's novel was made into a film by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home, with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six other MGM feature films through 1951 and became a canine celebrity, even touring the country and selling tickets to his shows under his stage name "Lassie."
In 1954, the long-running Emmy-winning television series Lassie debuted and, over the next 19 years, a succession of Pal's descendants appeared on the series.

The "Lassie" character has appeared countless in radio, television, film, toys, comic books, animated series, juvenile novels, and other media.
Pal's descendants continue to play Lassie today.