History Main / PetGetsTheKeys

* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}''. Al is shackled in a dungeon for "kidnapping" Princess Jasmine. His monkey Abu comes to pick open the shackle locks, but that doesn't free him from the dungeon -- a disguised Jafar does, as part of his plan to get the magic lamp.

* {{Subverted}} in ''ComicBook/RapunzelsRevenge''. When Jack and Rapunzel are locked up by TheSheriff, Jack tries to get his uncooperative goose Goldie to bring them the ring of keys on the wall... only to realize the cell was never locked in the first place.

* In the episode "The Great American Lock In" from the show "WesternAnimation/What'sWithAndy" Andy and some of his school peers get locked into the school of East Gackle after a prank of Andy in which he reversed the locks. This trope is inverted when Andy's pet dog Spank has to open the doors from the outside in order to let them out.

** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'': Adapting the scene from [[Ride/PiratesOfTheCaribbean the ride]], Captain Jack Sparrow mocks the other prisoners for trying to coax the mangy dog into bringing them the keys. A cannon ball opens up part of their cell, allowing them to escape. Once they leave, Sparrow starts whistling for the dog, too, but when the cursed pirates appear, the dog runs away with the keys, leaving him completely trapped.

A common variation is for the sidekick to have to steal then keys off TheJailer's person.

Now the task is to get the animal to bring the keys (or some other useful escape tool) over to you. If it's your NonHumanSidekick, this could be as simple as a meaningful wink or [[JustWhistle special signal]]. But if it's a critter you're not necessarily on the best of terms with or don't know--or, heavens forbid, one belonging to the enemies who was given the keys for safe-keeping--well, you could be screwed.

* Before its destruction in a fire in 2018, ''Ride/EuropaPark'''s "Piraten in Batavia" had the same scene as below, only it was in the [[EastIndies Dutch East Indies]] and the pet was a monkey.

* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'': When Yondu and Rocket are locked in the ship's hold, they catch Baby Groot's attention and tell him to bring Yondu's early prototype [[WeaponOfChoice head fin]] that controls his [[OneHitPolykill Yaka]] [[TrickArrow Arrow]] so they can break out. Unfortunately, Groot doesn't quite understand what they're talking about and brings back a series of increasingly hilarious objects -- including a pair of underwear, a severed toe, and a desk -- before a regretful mutineer helps him out.

* A variant in ''Film/FantasticBeastsandWhereToFindThem'': while Newt's bowtruckle companion, Pickett, doesn't outright bring him a set of keys, he does repeatedly pick locks to get Newt out of handcuffs.

* A variant in ''Film/HongKongGodfather'': Wei, the protagonist is a KindheartedAnimalLover whose pets include two dogs, a large Doberman who's in a cage most of the time and a smaller pup. When Wei gets ambushed by a horde of thugs, he lets his smaller dog out of his mansion, where it instead releases the Doberman into helping Wei by mauling several mooks.