Lassie Come-Home begins and concludes at Greenall Bridge, a coal mining community in Yorkshire, England, where "of all places in the world it is here that the dog is really king." Residents revere dogs, and even the poorest people can have dogs that were raised well, groomed, and well-trained.

During the "poor times," many Yorkshire dogs are sold when necessary to make money. Located in England's largest county, Greenall Bridge is in a "bleak part of northern England" where "wind and the cold rains sweep over the flat moorlands, making the dogs rich-coated and as sturdy as the people who live there." Only one road extends to the village from the valley, and residents pursue a "life of courage and family." Faces and clothes are covered with black coal dust, and plain food is served at meals.

In Greenall Bridge, Lassie is a village favorite and considered the...