The film stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos, Alexandra Shipp, Wes Studi, Barry Watson, and Jonah Hauer-King, and follows a dog named Bella (voiced by Howard) who travels more than 400 miles to find her owner.

In a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado, a mother stray dog and her three newborn puppies live peacefully with a colony of feral cats in an abandoned house.

That evening, overzealous animal control officer Chuck Millits comes by to warn Lucas that if he finds Bella on the street, he will impound her.

To avoid this, Lucas sends Bella to live with Olivia's aunt and uncle in Farmington, New Mexico, until he and his mother can find another home outside of Denver's urban limits.

The three men give Bella food at their campsite and upon learning who her owner is, try to call Lucas, only to be scared away by the sudden arrival of Big Kitten.

After encountering further challenges, Bella finally makes it back to Denver, and she bids Big Kitten farewell before they part ways.

The website's critical consensus reads "A Dog's Way Home may not quite be a family-friendly animal drama fan's best friend, but this canine adventure is no less heartwarming for its familiarity.

[10] Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly called the film "Heartwarming, mildly funny, and occasionally thrilling without ever being anything more than just fine.

"[16] Tomris Laffly, writing for RogerEbert.com, called it “a good dog movie with its heart in the right place" and gave it 3 out of 4 stars.

[17] Courtney Howard of Variety wrote: "For every shameless trick the filmmakers employ to pluck our heartstrings, resonant chords are struck elsewhere, teaching audiences about family, the power of unconditional love, and the ripple effects of compassion.

"[20] Jude Dry of IndieWire gave it a D grade, writing: "This franchise should follow its own advice: Find a purpose, a way home, or show yourself the doggy door.