Directed by martin rosen with john hurt christopher benjamin james bolam nigel hawthorne two dogs escape from a laboratory and are hunted as possible carriers of . The plague dogs is a 1982 british american adult animated adventure film based on the 1977 novel of the same name by richard adams the film was written directed and . The plague dogs is the third novel by richard adams author of watership down about two dogs who escape an animal testing facility and are subsequently pursued by . Probably the most brutal opening to a kids film i have ever seen from the plague dogs