Movies like It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1976)
The best movies like It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet (1976) are A Dog Year (2009), SubUrbia (1997) and A Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026). If It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet hooked you with its drama and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedTemple Grandin (2010)7.9/10 from 601 votes
- NewestA Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026)Released 2026
A Dog Year (2009)
Jon Katz is close to burnout. He's a writer with writer's block; his wife has left for her sister's because he's emotionally distant; he rarely answers his phone. A kennel sends him a border collie that's undisciplined because of abuse. Despite a series of mishaps, Jon decides to keep trying with the dog, and he rents a dilapidated farm house to give the dog room to run. A local handyman refers Jon to a woman who might be able to help him train the dog. Reluctantly, Jon gives her a try. Is the dog the problem, or the owner?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSubUrbia (1997)
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026)
When a medical emergency pulls the Goss family apart, determined dog Winstead will do all he can to bring his humans back together before Christmas Eve.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Own Love Song (2010)
A wheelchair-bound singer and her best friend embark on a roadtrip to Memphis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBest Man Down (2012)
A newlywed couple cancels their honeymoon and returns to the snowy Midwest to make the funeral arrangements for their best man, who died unexpectedly after their ceremony.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIt Runs in the Family (2003)
This is the story of a dysfunctional New York family, and their attempts to reconcile
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSometimes Always Never (2019)
Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNothing in Common (1986)
A successful advertising executive finds his freewheeling life crashing to a halt when his parents end their longtime marriage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThings Change (1988)
Jerry, a misfit Mafia henchman, is assigned the low-level job of keeping an eye on Gino, a shoe repairman fingered by the Mob to confess to a murder he didn't commit. But Gino's mistaken for a Mafia boss, and the two are suddenly catapulted to the highest levels of mobster status. Only friendship will see them through this dangerous adventure alive!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Morgan's Last Love (2013)
A widowed professor living in Paris develops a special relationship with a younger French woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHomeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996)
When the pets accidentally get separated from their vacationing owners, Chance, Shadow, and Sassy navigate the mean streets of San Francisco, trying to find their home across the Golden Gate Bridge. But the road is blocked by a series of hazards, both man and beast.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere the Money Is (2000)
Henry Manning has come up with a new way to break out of prison: fake a stroke and get transferred to a nursing home. It's a perfect plan, except for one thing: the woman assigned to take care of him at the nursing home, Carol Ann McKay, has a plan of her own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAfterlife of the Party (2021)
A social butterfly who dies during her birthday week is given a second chance to right her wrongs on Earth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisWinged Creatures (2009)
A psychotic man opens fire in a diner, murdering numerous people before killing himself. The survivors struggle in different ways following this horrendous event: a doctor doubts his own instincts and elects to use an experimental medical procedure on his wife, while a gambler believes he's on a lucky streak. A waitress begins engaging in promiscuous sex, and a young girl whose father is among the dead gains unexpected fame.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisWhere the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for two years to achieve his dream of buying two red-bone coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in life as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy roaming the river bottoms of Cherokee country with his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Parts You Lose (2019)
An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTalhotBlond (2012)
Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFlicka (2006)
Katy McLaughlin desires to work on her family's mountainside horse ranch, although her father insists she finish boarding school. Katy finds a mustang in the hills near her ranch. The headstrong 16 year old then sets her mind to tame a mustang and prove to her father she can run the ranch. But when tragedy happens, it will take all the love and strength the family can muster to restore hope.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSee Spot Run (2001)
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBaby Boom (1987)
J.C. Wiatt is a talented and ambitious New York City career woman who is married to her job and working towards partner at her firm. She has a live-in relationship with Steven, a successful investment broker who, along with J.C., agreed children aren't part of the plan. J.C.'s life takes an unexpected turn when a distant relative dies and the will appoints her the caretaker of their baby girl, Elizabeth. The baby's sudden arrival causes Steven to leave, breaking off their relationship. Juggling power lunches and powdered formula, she is soon forced off the fast track by a conniving colleague and a bigoted boss. But she won't stay down for long. She'll prove to the world that a woman can have it all and on her own terms too!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeorgia Rule (2007)
Rebellious, uncontrollable teenager, Rachel is hauled off by her dysfunctional mother to spend the summer with her estranged grandmother, Georgia. Her journey will lead all three women to revelations of buried family secrets and an understanding that - regardless what happens - the ties that bind can never be broken.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBroken Flowers (2005)
An introverted man receives an anonymous letter from an ex-lover informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. A freelance sleuth neighbor motivates the man to embark on a cross-country search for his past flames, seeking answers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Three Lives of Thomasina (1963)
Thomasina the cat brings a family together through her mysterious death and reappearance.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTierärztin Christine (1993)
When her father suffers a heart attack, Christine, a qualified vet, travels with her two children from Munich to Carinthia to take over his veterinary practice while he recovers. However, this puts her marriage to architect Thomas, which is already in crisis, to the test. While the jealous Thomas is on a business trip to Salzburg, the attractive Christine is being courted in Carinthia by the charming farmer Georg Reiser.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Temple Grandin (2010)
A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic American who has become one of the leading scientists in humane livestock handling.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisOver Her Dead Body (2008)
After his fiancée, Kate, dies in an accident on their wedding day, veterinarian Henry grows depressed. To help him move on, his sister has him visit psychic Ashley and gives her Kate's diary. Ashley uses the journal's details to convincingly deliver the fake message that Kate wants Henry to move on. However, Kate's ghost is watching over Ashley and Henry. Furious when they fall for each other, she vows to sabotage their relationship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDog Days (2018)
Elizabeth, a charming morning show news anchor, seeks advice from her dog's therapist after a breakup. Tara, a spunky barista, dreams of a life beyond the coffee shop. Awkward Garrett pines for Tara while trying to keep his adopt-a-dog business afloat. Dax is a man-child and leader of the aspiring rock band Frunk. Grace and Kurt anxiously await the arrival of their adoptive daughter, Amelia. Walter, an aging, lonely widower, loses his dog Mabel when she runs off. The beloved canines in their lives soon start to influence their careers, friendships, and romantic relationships in funny and unexpected ways.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrancer (1989)
Jessica, the daughter of an impoverished apple farmer, still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides the reindeer in her barn and feeds it cookies, until she can return it to Santa. Her father finds the reindeer and decides to sell it to the butcher, not for venison chops, but as an advertising display.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Day at the Races (1937)
Doctor Hugo Hackenbush, Tony, and Stuffy try and save Judy's sanitarium by winning a big race with a finicky horse owned by Judy's boyfriend Gil. There are a few problems. Hackenbush, who was recently put in charge of the sanitarium, isn't really a doctor, he's a veterinarian.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet?
The closest matches to It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet are A Dog Year (2009), SubUrbia (1997) and A Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet?
Start with A Dog Year (2009), the closest match to It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet.
What is the highest-rated movie like It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet?
Temple Grandin (2010), rated 7.9/10 by 601 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet?
A Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet?
Yes: A Dog Year (2009), SubUrbia (1997) and A Dog's Perfect Christmas (2026).
How are movies similar to It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.