The Silent Call on AllMovie

Director John A. Bushelman makes a departure from his usual western and action films to guide this respectable, canine-centered, family film about a big dog by the name of Pete with definite separation anxiety. When the impoverished Brancato family takes off from their Nevada home to look for a better life in Los Angeles, they are forced to leave their dog in the care of a dubious-looking neighbor. Their son is heart-broken, and no one is particularly happy, especially Pete. Not willing to stand for this kind of treatment, Pete takes off to cover the hundreds of miles to L.A. and hunt down his family, meeting all kinds of hoboes, truckers, and other characters along the way.