Santa's Little Helper the show, but voice artist Frank Welker has also voiced him. Santa's Little Helper has become a popular character following his appearances on "The Simpsons". He ranked 27th in Animal Planet's 2003 television special "50 Greatest TV Animals" that was based on popularity, name recognition, and the longevity of the shows. He has also been featured in merchandise relating to "The Simpsons", such as video games, board games, and comics. Santa's Little Helper is a greyhound that appears on the animated television series "The Simpsons" and is the pet dog of the Simpson family. He can often be seen on
Bart's Dog Gets an "F" shorts, the characters spun off into their own half-hour prime-time show on the Fox network named "The Simpsons". Matt Groening, the series' creator, wanted Ullman to make a guest appearance in one of the shorts, but was told that she was too busy with the rest of "The Tracey Ullman Show". When her show was canceled in 1990, Ullman agreed to do a guest appearance on "The Simpsons" after being asked by Groening once again. The animal noises for the episode, including those by Santa's Little Helper, were performed by Frank Welker. It was the first "The Simpsons" episode Welker