<P> Bailey is again reborn and reincarnated, this time, as a St. Bernard - Australian Shepherd mix, sometime during the next decade, only to be taken in by an abusive and neglectful urban couple who name him Waffles . Waffles is eventually dumped in an abandoned lot and reluctantly sets off in search of a new life . Walking past a dog park and remembering how long it had been since he played, Waffles meets a dog and her human who hold a familiar scent to him, though he knows neither of them . He gradually makes his way to the country area where he spent summers as Bailey without even realizing at first where he is headed . He joyfully reunites with his old master Ethan, who is now somewhere in his 50s, living a lonely life and apparently broken in spirit at his Grandparents' old farm, which he now owns and runs . Ethan, of course, initially has no idea who this wandering dog really is and hands him over to the local animal shelter . But he soon has a change of heart and reclaims him, naming him Buddy . Buddy, sensing that he has finally found the true purpose of life that has long evaded him, finds a way to reunite Ethan with a widowed Hannah, and they eventually get married . </P> <P> Buddy finally convinces Ethan that he is his beloved childhood pet by performing some tricks and responding to key phrases that were known only to the two of them all those many, many long years ago . The dog in voiceover tells the viewer that life is about having fun; saving others; not getting caught in the past or regrets; finding someone to be with; and living for today . </P> <Ul> <Li> Josh Gad as the voice of Toby, Bailey, Ellie, Tino, Waffles and Buddy . </Li> <Li> Dennis Quaid as Ethan Montgomery (adult) <Ul> <Li> KJ Apa as teenage Ethan Montgomery </Li> <Li> Bryce Gheisar as eight - year old Ethan Montgomery </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Juliet Rylance as Elizabeth Montgomery, Ethan's mother . </Li> <Li> Peggy Lipton as Hannah (adult) <Ul> <Li> Britt Robertson as young Hannah </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> John Ortiz as Carlos Ruiz </Li> <Li> Kirby Howell - Baptiste as Maya </Li> <Li> Pooch Hall as Al </Li> <Li> Luke Kirby as Jim Montgomery, Ethan's father </Li> <Li> Michael Bofshever as Bill, Ethan's grandfather </Li> <Li> Gabrielle Rose as Fran, Ethan's grandmother </Li> <Li> Logan Miller as Todd, the vindictive classmate </Li> </Ul> <Li> Josh Gad as the voice of Toby, Bailey, Ellie, Tino, Waffles and Buddy . </Li>

What is the film a dog's purpose about