20 Days of Summer, Day 13: Camp Dog

Day 13: Camp Dog (1950)
Starring: Pluto, Bent Tail and Bent Tail Jr.
Setting: A campsite in the woods
Plot: A father and son duo of hungry coyotes threaten to ransack the food supply at Pluto’s campsite.

Tan Lines
Who are the two shadowy figures in the boat leaving the campsite???  Mickey and Donald perhaps… idk?

And, where are they going?  Night time fishing is a thing so that’s probably it.

Pluto’s face poking out of the tent when he first spies the coyotes is a legitimate LOLZ moment!

The father coyote’s name is Bent-Tail and his son is Bent-Tail Jr.  This is Bent-Tail’s fourth and final appearance in the classic shorts and Jr.’s third and final.  They always appear as antagonists to Pluto.

Bent-Tail and Bent-Tail Jr. would also go on to star in an animated episode of Walt Disney Presents in a longer form piece called The Coyote’s Lament (1961). 

Pluto sure fell asleep fast after thinking he scared off the coyotes.

These coyotes aren’t as feral as they appear.  They laid down a picnic blanket, set up plates and even used napkins!
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As to avoid getting in trouble for the wrecked campsite by his owners, Pluto opts to join the coyotes and howl at the moon.

Sitting by the Campfire
In a lot of ways, these coyotes are more the main character than Pluto.  Bent-Tail and Jr. are the active ones with a greater goal while Pluto sleeps through most of the episode.  And, to that end, why shouldn’t they take the food?  Campers are free to camp and lock up their food but if the animals have the wherewithal to steal it, I think it’s fair game.  The campers are guests in the coyotes’ home and not the other way around.