Santa's Little Helper Santa's Little Helper Santa's Little Helper is a recurring character in the American animated television series "The Simpsons". He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. The dog was introduced in the first episode of the show, the 1989 Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", in which his owner abandons him for finishing last in a greyhound race. Homer Simpson and his son Bart, who are at the race track in hope of winning some money for Christmas presents, see this and decide to adopt the dog. Santa's Little Helper has since appeared frequently on "The Simpsons",
The Simpsons show. The celebration ended on January 10, 2010 (almost 20 years after "Bart the Genius" aired on January 14, 1990), with "The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special – In 3-D! On Ice!", a documentary special by documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock that examines the "cultural phenomenon of "The Simpsons"". As of the twenty-first season (2009–2010), "The Simpsons" became the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, having surpassed "Gunsmoke". On April 29, 2018, "The Simpsons" also surpassed "Gunsmoke"s 635-episode count with the episode "Forgive and Regret." "The Simpsons" has won dozens of awards since it debuted as a series, including 31 Primetime Emmy