1. Pound在這里指“(走失貓狗)認領處”。在美國的社區中,每十萬人口便會建立50個左右的動物籠舍,即“(走失貓狗)認領處”。這種暫時收容無主人的寵物的行為不但發揮了人道主義精神,亦可有效減少流浪動物對社會環境所造成的影響。管理員的職責是抓住并扣留任何走失的寵物。如果寵物的主人前來認領,必須繳納罰款和看管期間所有的費用。
Ozone是一只說話帶著倫敦腔的斯芬克斯貓,它帶領小巷里所有的流浪貓對闖入領地的Duke和Max發起了進攻,Max和Duke不得不倉皇而逃。就在它們逃出小巷跑向大路的時候,卻被流浪寵物收容所的兩個管理員擒獲,關進了車上的籠子里。Duke擔心曾經在收容所的噩夢重演,躲在籠子里瑟瑟發抖。Max從來沒有經歷過如此驚心動魄的“離家出走”,尤其對面還有一個兇神惡煞的“獄友”。
突然,一只外表人畜無害的小白兔從井蓋下面爬出來,擋在了車前面。管理員從車上下來,想看看它有沒有受傷。孰料它水汪汪的大眼睛突然殺氣騰騰,一記“旋風胡蘿卜”將管理員打癱在路邊,隨即鉆進車里救出Max對面的“獄友”。這只小白兔名叫Snowball,是被主人拋棄的“暴走寵物幫(The Flushed Pets)”的老大。Max和Duke看到了逃走的希望,于是向Snowball求救,并假裝對人類充滿怨恨,試圖騙取信任,誰知道不由自主地編了一出越說越荒誕的虐主人傳奇。
Max: Take us with you.
Snowball: I dont think so, pets! Yeah, you got to stitch domestication all over you. You chose your side and now you gonna bar (審判臺).
Max: No, stop! Whore you calling pets? I aint no pet. You got it all wrong. Were just like you guys. We hate humans.
Duke: Oh yeah! Thats ... Thats right!
Max: Oh man, dont get me started on1 people. Alright, Duke?
Duke: Yeah! Thats why we burned our collars, man.
Max: We burned em to the ground (徹底地).
Duke: It killed our owners.
Max: Yeah! [對 Duke說] Wait a minute, thats too far maybe?
Duke: No, they dig it.
Max: Yes, we whacked (重擊) em.
Duke: Yeah! Thats right.
Max: Bang, bang with our own paws.
Duke: I got a dime for every owner I killed.
Max: Oh, yeah!
Duke: I have a dime because I just killed the one.
Snowball聽到它們的傳奇故事異常興奮,似乎找到了“暴走寵物幫”族譜中的戰斗英雄。于是Snowball帶領它們來到了骯臟惡臭的“暴走寵物幫”秘密基地。這里有各種各樣的遺棄寵物,比如鱷魚、豬、貓。不過,加入“暴走寵物幫”并不是一件很容易的事,這里有一條不成文的規定,必須被寵物幫里的一條巨型毒蛇咬過才有資格成為其中一員。Max和Duke哪里見過這樣的陣仗,只能驚慌失措地硬著頭皮進行反抗,結果陰差陽錯地把毒蛇殺死了。偏偏這時Ozone帶領眾貓追到了這里,Max和Duke的家養寵物身份被揭穿,Snowball惱羞成怒,帶領“暴走寵物幫”開始追殺它們。
而另一邊,Gidget第一個發現Max失蹤了。異常著急的它試圖向Max樓上的鄰居Chloe詢問情況,然而Chloe以為那是Max趕走Duke的計謀,因此并沒有特別在意。六神無主的Gidget跑到天臺呼喊Max,湊巧在這里認識了紅尾鷹Tiberius。Tiberius表示愿意幫助尋找Max,但是它的腳被主人用鐵鏈拴住了。聰明的Gidget以不許吃任何小動物為條件,幫Tiberius解開了鎖鏈。
在Tiberius的幫助下,Gidget得知Max和Duke被“暴走寵物幫”挾持,現在兇多吉少。于是,Gidget把Max的好友們團結起來一起尋找Max。一眾人最終找到了“暴走寵物幫”的秘密基地,與Snowball帶領的人馬狹路相逢。一陣廝殺后,Gidget一幫寡不敵眾,倉皇逃跑。
而此時,Max和Duke一路經歷重重危險,已經逃到了布魯克林。它們又餓又累,情緒非常低落。就在快絕望時,它們發現了一個香腸工廠。Max和Duke暫時忘了自己身處險境且流落異地,沉浸在了香腸的海洋里。同甘共苦的兩個小伙伴在這短暫的放松中終于對彼此放下了戒備,Duke向Max袒露了自己的心事。
Duke: You know, I saw this place from the outside many times. Had I known what treasures awaited within these walls, I wouldve broke down that door a long time ago, I tell you!
Max: What are you talking about?
Duke: My old owner and I used to live around here.
Max: Duke, man, wait! Did you used to have an owner?
Duke: Well, it was a ... It was a long time ago. I dont want to talk about it.
Max: Yes, you do. Come on.
Duke: I dont know. But you know what? He was so cool.
Max: Yeah?
Duke: Yeah, he was the best. And we had fun. Wed play fetch ... Wed go for walks ... Wed take naps ... We were both big nappers. I got out one night, chasing a butterfly, or a car, and by the time I had caught up with it and ate it ...
Max: Probably a butterfly, then.
Duke: I realized I was so far away from my home. I couldnt find it. A few days later, I was picked up by Animal Control. Oh, I had a great thing going, but I had to go and mess it up.
聽完Duke略帶傷感和遺憾的故事,Max鼓勵它去尋找曾經的主人Fred。經過再三猶豫,Duke終于還是懷著復雜的心情回到了夢中的家,它站在門口徘徊,遲遲不敢上前。突然一只灰貓竄了出來,吼叫著趕它走。物是人非,房子的主人已經換了,它曾經最愛的陽臺也被這只灰貓霸占著。Duke無法接受這個事實,發瘋一樣地沖著這家人大吼,卻招來了流浪寵物收容所的管理員。Duke掩護Max逃走,自己卻被抓住了。它大聲告訴Max一定要回家。
Max眼看著Duke被抓走,心中萬分不舍,它終于意識到,原來自己已經接受了Duke并且將它視為知己。它決定把Duke救回來,一起回家!Max跟在管理員的車后面瘋狂地奔跑。就在這時,Snowball的“暴走寵物幫”突然出現,有幾個也被管理員抓了起來。Snowball意識到,如果寵物們不聯合起來一起解救同伴,它們都將失去彼此。Snowball和Max決定聯手。最終,所有寵物都獲救了。
經歷了這一次難忘的生死救援,“暴走寵物幫”和“家養寵物幫”終于化解了橫在彼此間的隔閡,它們乘坐出租車一起回家。Snowball遇到一個特別喜歡它的小女孩,瞬間變得溫順無比。家這個概念,在“暴走寵物幫”成員們的心中也擴大了范圍,不再只是骯臟的地下水溝。或許某一天,它們都能找到愿意陪伴自己一生的人類朋友。經歷如此漫長又驚心動魄的一天,寵物們終于回到了家中,等待著主人回家。