Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)

Name: Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Genre: drama film, family film
Released: 2009
Duration: 93 min
Cast: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Davenia McFadden, Erick Avari, Jason Alexander, Joan Allen

A professor adopts a lost Akita puppy, and the dog's loyalty to him grows into a daily ritual at the train station.

Details: 93 min · drama film · family film
Directed by: Lasse Hallström
Format: Live-action
Country: United Kingdom, United States
Animals: Dogs

PetActing ratings

5/5 Paw Score

Quiet, loyal and deeply moving; a must-see for dog lovers.

Does the animal die?

Reveal answer (spoilers)

Yes, an animal dies.

Hachi waits for years and finally passes on near the station.

Is an animal hurt or in danger?

No animals in danger on screen

No danger on screen.

Real animals or CGI?

Real animals

Real Akita dogs.

On-set animal welfare

Not publicly documented.

Tearjerker level

💧💧💧💧💧 5/5

One of the most emotional dog films ever made.

Kid-friendliness (animal scenes)

Ages 9+

The sadness and loss may be too much for young children.

Breed / species accuracy

Not applicable

Breed accuracy not assessed in this draft.

Animal cast

Animals featured: pets, dogs.

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Sources

title, release year, runtime, genres, directors, countries, identifiers: www.wikidata.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
cast: www.wikidata.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
animals in the film: en.wikipedia.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
animals in the film: en.wikipedia.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)

Facts last checked 2026-10-24. Ratings are PetActing's own opinion, never copied from other sites.