THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (Rated PG)

Do you ever wonder what Fido or Fluffy are doing all day while the family is at work and school?

Well, you may find a hypothetical answer with “The Secret Life of Pets,” which animates household pets to speaking English even better than some people you may encounter in everyday life.

The ringleader, so to speak, of domesticated animals living in Manhattan apartments is a cute, pampered terrier mix by the name of Max (voiced by Louis C.K.). He hates to see his owner, the sweet-natured Katie (voiced by Ellie Kemper) leaving for work.

But what Max dislikes even more is his owner’s soft spot to rescue another canine from the pound. The new arrival is the wildly furry Duke (voiced by Eric Stonestreet), a sloppy, massive mess of a mongrel with zero interpersonal skills.

A turf war breaks out between the two dogs, as a jealous Max does not want to share Katie’s affection, or more importantly, his bed as well as his food bowl with the disruptive, abusive and basically insensitive Duke.

Meanwhile, some of Max’s neighbors figure into the story, such as the exceedingly obese cat Chloe (voiced by Lake Bell) who won’t give you the time of day unless you are willing to substitute a nice juicy chicken meal for the awful dry cat food.

The very fluffy white-haired Gidget (Jenny Slate) is a naïve but gutsy Pomeranian who talks tough for such a small dog. On the inside, she’s a secret admirer of Max, which becomes truly evident when the object of her affection goes missing.

Out for a walk in the park with an inattentive dog walker, Max and Duke find themselves cut loose from the group and suddenly lost on the mean streets of New York. An aggressive animal control crew snags them for a trip to the pound.

The streets of the city, to say nothing of the back alleys, are the home territory for feral animals, mostly former pets that have been abandoned by previous owners, and now call themselves the Flushed Pets.

This motley gang has a vengeful mission to terminate humans, except they seem to be lacking a workable game plan, even though their leader, a fuzzy white rabbit named Snowball (voiced by the funny Kevin Hart) is always talking a good game.

Since one of Snowball’s compatriots is in the same animal control van as Duke and Max, the domesticated duo pretend to be denizens of the street so as to be freed from an unwelcomed trip to the pound.

Unstable and erratic, Snowball is so deranged that he gives new meaning to paranoia. He may look cute and adorable, but he’s insane. His crew of misfits lives in the sewers where they plot the extinction of mankind.

Things start to go badly for Duke and Max when they are unable to keep up false appearances of undomesticated life, and must suddenly flee Snowball and his angry tribe right out into the Hudson River.

Above ground, in the seediest alleys, the turf belongs to untamed felines that are itching to rip apart uninvited canines. Ozone (voiced by Steve Coogan), hideously ugly inside and out, is an alley cat with a bad attitude.

As the day wears on, and Duke and Max have come to terms with the need to band together in a quest for survival in a world that is foreign and inhospitable, their friends back at the apartment building worry about their long absence.
  
Gidget ventures forth from the safe confines of her world to enlist the help of Chloe and the dopey, excitable pug Mel (voiced by Bobby Moynihan) along with the sarcastic dachshund Buddy (voiced by Hannibal Buress) to search for the missing pals.

Taking a big chance to find an ally, Gidget finds a lonely, hooded red-tailed hawk named Tiberius (voiced by Albert Brooks), who has a sharp wit and even sharper talons. Somehow, Tiberius suppresses his natural killer instincts to befriend the small dog.

Together, this diverse group of animals recruits the much-needed help of Pops (voiced by Dana Carvey), an old basset hound slowed down by age but who knows the city like the back of his wrinkled paw.

One of the more fascinating animals is Leonard, a posh poodle living in a swanky penthouse that never speaks, but has a penchant for blaring punk rock music as soon as his snooty owner leaves for the day.

Even when the action descends into the scary world of the sewers, “The Secret Life of Pets” holds on to its essentially good-natured feeling, though the animal control workers may beg to differ.

This is the type of animated film that’s good enough for family fun during the summer, but will never achieve the memorable status of “Frozen” or “Toy Story.”

Yet, “The Secret Life of Pets,” an amusing comedy, manages to strike the right notes of delightful entertainment.  

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.