<P> The film is a co-production between Amblin Entertainment, Reliance Entertainment, Walden Media and Pariah Entertainment Group . It was released by Universal Pictures on January 27, 2017, and grossed over $196 million worldwide . </P> <P> In the 1950s, a feral puppy named Toby is whisked away to the dog pound and quickly euthanized, wondering if "fun" truly is life's purpose . </P> <P> His strong spirit is reborn and reincarnated as a newborn Retriever puppy in 1961 . Toby leaves his cage at a puppy mill and is found by two garbage men who plan to sell him for their own profit . They leave to drink and Toby is spotted locked inside their pick - up truck by a young boy named Ethan and his mother, who rescue him from the brink of death by heatstroke . After they convince Ethan's father, the dog is allowed to stay and renamed Bailey . </P> <P> Bailey and Ethan bond quickly, especially over the summer when the family visits Ethan's maternal grandparents' farm, and Bailey now believes Ethan alone is his purpose . Years pass and after several attempts at advancing in his job failed, Ethan's father has become a deadbeat alcoholic, though teenage Ethan still tries to respect him--inviting him to a football game now that he has been named starting quarterback . </P>

Where did a dog's purpose take place