Is Goofy a Dog or Cow? Debate Goes Viral

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Goofy debate goes viral

Walt Disney said it best when he expressed, “It all started with a mouse.” And although Mickey Mouse is the one that started it all, there’s another member of the Fab Five who’s making headlines lately.

A debate over social media has sparked and gone viral over Goofy. The topic at hand: What animal is Goofy? Is Goofy a cow or a dog?

disney fab five
Credit: Inside the Magic

Making the Case: Goofy is a Cow

Many Disney fans believe Goofy is a dog. However, this has been thrown into question thanks to a now-viral TikTok video.

Related: It’s Goofy’s 88th Birthday! Celebrate With This Disney+ Playlist

In this video by Myrna Nuarpha, offers this rhetoric, “How old were you when you found Goofy was actually a cow and not a dog?” The video currently has over 800,000 views and plenty of comments with Disney fans weighing in on the debate. 

@myrnashewrote

am I late? My childhood is ruined 🤣🤣🤣 #childhoodruined #goofyisacow #wtfdisney

♬ Its time. – Matthew

This debate gets sparked up everyone once in a while. Before you chalk this up to simply the opinion of a TikToker, Disney Legend Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy since 1987 weighed in on the subject of Goofy’s species and said “He is not a dog”.

We will get to Bill Farmer’s thoughts on Goofy’s origins but first, the reason the debate even exists seems to be due to the way Goofy is and has been animated. He does seem to have a lot of human likeness to him — more so than Pluto, who is Mickey’s pet dog, whereas Goofy has been widely recognized as more of an anthropomorphic dog with more human-like features.

There are plenty of times when Goofy is compared to Clarabelle cow and even Horace. Despite the fact that these characters were animated with similar techniques, Clarabelle is a cow and Horace is a horse. 

clarabelle is a cow
Credit: D23

Related: Goofy Spotted Riding a Disney Attraction With Guests!

And although there is even more speculation that Goofy is actually a specific type of cow — an Aberdeen Angus cow, to be exact — not all Disney fans are buying into this! 

goofy debate goes viral
Credit: D23

Making the Case: Goofy is a Dog

Back to Disney Legend, Bill Farmer, while he says with certainty that Goofy is not a dog, he acknowledges that Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way a wolf is not a dog, yet they both belong to the canine family.

D23 the official Disney Fan club describes Goofy as follows:

This new character was first given a name, Dippy Dawg, in the newspaper comic strips. A 1938 book indicated the first change to Dippy’s name, The Story of Dippy the Goof, and by 1939 the final change was made with the release of the cartoon Goofy and Wilbur. Goofy was created as a human character, as opposed to Pluto, so he walked upright and had a speaking voice.

What is Goofy?

Goofy is more dog than cow. There you have it; while the debate will no doubt continue, as with any Disney character with human features, you can make whichever case you desire with a fair amount of support on either side.

Will this change how you see Goofy and his son Max in A Goofy Movie?

“A Goofy Movie” with Bill Farmer as Goofy and Jason Marsden as Max Goof, Goofy’s son. This classic Disney movies premiered 28 years ago and is still considered a great musical comedy. This animated movie is fun, with great music and adorable moments as we watch Goof bond with his son, Max.

Can you see Goofy at the Park?

Goofy is usually located near the entrance of Epcot (Walt Disney World near Miami, FL), where you can hang out with “meet Disney pals” and other characters. For more information on Disney World Tickets, click here.

 

Goofy EPCOT
Credit: Disney

What side of this debate do you stand on? Do you think Goofy is a dog, or is Goofy a cow? Let us know at Inside the Magic what you think!

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