'It's a Dog's Life': Disney legend Bill Farmer tells real-life pooch tales on Disney+

Every Friday night this spring on Disney+, a new half-hour series featuring Disney legend Bill Farmer introduces us to individual dogs who each do specific jobs that make our lives better.

It's called "It's a Dog's Life," and there's even one clever canine who works with cats.

Farmer may not look familiar, but his voice makes him instantly recognizable.

"I've always had a proficiency for impersonating and cartoon characters," he said from his home in North Hollywood. "And of course, Goofy was one of my favorites."

He's provided that famous voice for more than three decades, and soon after he got the job at Disney back in 1987, the management asked him to do Pluto as well.

"I can bark, so there it was, as simple as that," he said. "I just barked, and I've been barking for 33 years."

After giving voices to cartoon dogs for so long, Farmer though it might be time for slight change.

"Maybe it's a cool idea to step out from behind the microphone and find out about real dogs," he said.

It's the right kind of feel-good show at the right time, Farmer said.

"In these kind of times, we need friends," he said. 'Friends that can be around that give us unconditional love. Dogs can keep us sane, actually."

He felt fortunate to have finished shooting the series before production closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Absolutely," he said. "We finished up in late January."

There are 10 episodes in all, filled with unusual stories.

"We focus on the individual dogs as a personality more than as a breed," he said.

"It's a Dog's Life" has given new life to Farmer's career.

"I'm just kind of the eyes and ears of the people at home," he said. "Asking questions that I think they would like to know about what these dogs do."

His new series debuts Friday night on the Disney+ streaming service, owned by the same parent company as this ABC station.