Dog Gone’s Gonker is a good dog. He plays fetch (but only with the stick he chooses), he enjoys a sprinkle donut and can pretzel into a mean yoga pose. But as the trailer for the new film reveals, Gonker isn’t just a good dog; he’s a lost dog.

“Everyone needs one soul who loves you because you are you. That’s who Gonker was for me. And now he’s lost.” With those devastating words, Gonker’s owner, Fielding Marshall (Johnny Berchtold) and Fielding’s dad, John (Rob Lowe) kick off an epic quest as they set out to find their beloved dog who’s gone missing somewhere along the Appalachian Trail. 

Losing one’s best friend is bad enough, but in Dog Gone, based on the lump-in-your-throat 2016 true story written by Pauls Toutonghi, there’s even more at stake: Fielding and John have only two weeks to find Gonker, who needs medication in order to survive. Together, and with the support of Fielding’s mom Jinny (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) not to mention countless strangers, they’ll stop at nothing to find their pet and bring him home.

Much of Dog Gone is drawn from Gonker’s riveting, real-life story. Gonker really did bolt off the Appalachian Trail, resulting in a desperate search that drew in help from newspapers and everyday citizens. Even the film’s ticking clock is drawn from reality: Gonker suffered from Addison’s disease and required an injection every month to stay alive. “I’m super proud of the film,” Lowe told Tudum. “It’s just a total emotional journey that will definitely give you all the feels.”

That said, there was one notable (if slight) alteration along the book’s pathway to the screen. In the film, Gonker is a yellow Labrador retriever; in real life, Marshall’s dog was a golden retriever mix. Yellow Labs, stealing all the Hollywood dog jobs… how typical!

Directed by Stephen Herek from a script by Nick Santora, Dog Gone will be released globally on Netflix on Jan. 13. Until then, watch the trailer above, and keep your eyes peeled for an exceptionally cute pooch.