Disney fans stunned to learn that Goofy isn’t a dog

There are many aspects of life that we accept without question: the sky is blue (unless you live in the UK); we’re all going to die one day (unless you’re Bryan Johnson); and Disney icon Goofy is a dog.

However, it turns out that the latter isn’t quite true and the beloved cartoon character isn’t quite as he seems.

That’s right: Micky might be a mouse and Donald might be a duck but Goofy is not a dog.

The stunning revelation was made by actor Bill Farmer, who has been the voice of Goofy since 1987.

“He is not a dog,” Farmer categorically told Yahoo Entertainment back in May 2020.

“Pluto is a dog,” he clarified. “But Goofy seems to be in the canine family in the same way that a wolf is not a dog, but they also are in the canine family.

“I think Canis Goofus is the technical Latin term for what Goofy is,” he joked “He’s just Goofy.”

Farmer has voiced the character of Goofy for more than 30 years, alongside other iconic characters including Pluto the dog(Getty Images)

Nevertheless, Farmer’s confidence in identifying Goofy as “just Goofy” is somewhat undermined by the character’s original name.

When Walt Disney introduced the clumsy, buck-toothed personality in 1932, alongside the likes of Clarabelle Cow (who was to become a love interest for the canine), he went by the name “Dippy Dawg”.

Of course, you could argue that a “dawg” is not the same as a dog but still, most Disney fan sites agree that Goofy is an anthropomorphic pooch known for his “gawrsh!” and “ah-hyuck!” catchphrases.

These exclamations were signatures of Farmer who, after spending more than 30 years as Goofy, has come to embody the character.

And yet, social media users have been divided over his assessment, with a number of forums taking up the debate.

One Reddit user pointed out: "Goofy says he's a dog in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'."

While another noted: "I’ve always accepted that Goofy is a dog, but was always confused why Mickey had a pet dog too."

A third added: "I remember hearing he was a cow."

While a fourth complained: "Disney: He's a dog; Also Disney: he's not a dog he's just goofy; Also Also Disney: maybe he's a cow.

"It would help if the people who created him would make up their own minds."

Ultimately, the only person who can put the debate over Goofy’s real identity to bed is his creator, Walt. And he’s now been dead for almost 60 years.

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