The tragedy of being falsely accused, the wrath of the righteous in the face of injustice, the heartbreak of fleas--these serious themes were showcased in Run, Joe, Run, a Saturday morning live-action series about a German Shepherd named Joe.

Joe served bravely in a military K-9 unit but one day during training, he was accused (falsely!) of attacking his handler, Sgt. Will Corey. The punishment for that crime would be death but Joe escaped from his pen before the authorities could put him to sleep. As a result of his jailbreak, a $200 reward was offered for his capture. Sgt. Corey was a true friend and didn't believe that Joe was behind the vicious attack. He took to the streets looking for Joe, hoping to find him before the law did.

Sgt. Corey came close to reuniting with Joe many times but the two always missed each other somehow. While on the run, Joe would help various people who were in trouble while trying to evade anyone who was out to get him and claim the reward money. During the second season, Corey had to return to his unit, Joe-less, and the dog teamed up with a hiker named Josh. Josh and Joe continued to travel and help people, hoping that one day Joe's good name would be restored.