In One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Pongo is the father dog.
Pongo is Roger Radcliffe’s male Dalmatian and the mate of Perdita. In the 1961 Disney animated film, Perdita gives birth to 15 puppies, making Pongo their biological father. When Cruella de Vil’s henchmen steal the litter, Pongo and Perdita lead the rescue effort.
The pair later adopt 84 additional Dalmatian puppies rescued from Cruella’s estate. Together, the original 15 and the 84 adoptees make 101 Dalmatians, explaining the film’s title. Pongo is therefore both the father of the original litter and the adoptive father of the larger group.
A common mix-up is choosing Perdita, who is the mother dog, or Patch, Rolly, and Lucky, who are puppies. Pongo also appears in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel, the source for Disney’s film, although the book uses different human character names and calls Perdita “Missis.”