10 ‘Paw Patrol’ Saddest Episodes That Even Adults Will Cry Over

With eleven seasons and several movie specials behind its belt, Paw Patrol is one of the modern TV’s frontrunners when it comes to kids’ favorite shows, but sometimes it can be so intriguing and even thought-inducing that adults just can’t stay away either.

Following a team of cute puppies that risk their lives to save people and animals in emergency situations, Paw Patrol teaches its younger audiences how to be empathetic and collaborative, with some grown-ups still not being over some of the most disheartening episodes.

In case you’re looking for more theme-centred stories in Paw Patrol, here’s our top of the show’s saddest episodes ever — make sure you have enough tissues.

Season 8 Episode 9 — “Pups Save a Snowbound Cow”

In this episode, the Paw Patrol team embarks on a mission to save a stranded cow isolated from everyone by a blizzard. The story highlights the animal’s fear of being forgotten by the others and doomed to spend the rest of its days all alone.

Season 5 Episode 18 — "Pups Save the Parrot"

This episode sees the team discovering a lonely parrot who misses his past life and keeps looking for ways to get back to it. The parrot’s disheartening story evokes a feeling of nostalgia about better days and a longing desire to get transported there.

Season 6 Episode 3 — "Pups Save a Hoot"

Here, the pups have to deal with an abandoned baby owl that fell off its nest during a storm and now can’t find its way back home. It’s clear that the owl is frightened by what might happen next, seeing no way to survive in stormy woods without its mother.

Season 2 Episode 3 — "Pups Save the Bunnies"

This episode sees the Paw Patrol pups trying to relocate hungry bunnies who are drawn to Farmer Yumi's crops and thus cause a major chaos. This story reflects themes like desperation and survival for the most vulnerable ones, and the puppies’ kindness and compassion show how to treat those in need in a right way.

Season 1 Episode 6 — "Pups Save the Penguins"

In this episode, the pups must find a way to return a group of lost penguins back to their cold homeland after a shipping mistake. It emphasises the penguins’ confusion once they’re out of their comfort zone and environment as a whole, which mirrors children’s fears of getting lost and not being able to find a way back home.

Season 3 Episode 19 — "Pups and the Ghost Cabin"

This episode starts with the puppies embarking on an investigation of an old cabin which is believed to be haunted, only to realise later that an animal looking for its old home has been living there all along. The story reflects themes like the loss of comfort and the feeling of being left behind.

Season 7 Episode 10 — "Pups Save an Elephant Family"

In this episode, the Paw Patrol is dealing with a baby elephant who got separated from its herd and later was lost in the wild. The elephant’s desperate trumpeting and attempts to come back to its family are hard to watch, with many adults seeing this as an example of habitat loss.

Season 1 Episode 12 — "Pups Save Jake"

This episode introduces Everest, a Siberian husky, as she’s the one to try and save Jake, a mountaineer trapped on a snowy mountain. In the end, Everest risks it all to get to Jake, which later results in her joining the Paw Patrol and becoming the team’s valuable member.

Season 4 Episode 19 — “Pups Save a Friend"

This episode witnesses the puppies coming to rescue a baby whale that got separated from its mother. With the team making attempts to reunite the baby and its mother, this story mirrors a universal fear of losing a beloved one — which is why, despite some teary moments before, the happy ending does feel like a huge relief.

Season 2 Episode 7 — "Pups Save Ryder’s Robot"

In the episode, Ryder builds a robot dog called Robo-Dog to make his job easier, but the machine suddenly turns against its creator and now threatens the entire Adventure Bay. The story highlights Ryder’s realisation that his invention put his best friends in big danger, which is why Robo-Dog’s turn to evil feels like betrayal of trust between the machine and its creator.

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