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I am glad. I am glad my right honorable and gallant colleague is not attempting to ascribe any kind of blame to the Ministry of Defence. And indeed, the member for Keswick is right in demanding quick and decisive action. Accordingly, the Ministry has taken the following steps. Two companies of the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment are at this moment on their way to the Lake District. Tomorrow they will begin an intensive search of the most likely areas, and they will continue until the dogs are found and destroyed.
~ William Harbottle's speech.

William Harbottle, also called Hot Bottle Bill, is one of the three main antagonists (alongside Dr. Boycott and Digby Driver) of Richard Adams' 1977 novel The Plague Dogs, and its 1982 animated film adaptation of the same name. He is the Secretary of State of the Department of the Environment who was responsible for having A.R.S.E. established in Lawson Park. After two dogs named Rowf and Snitter escape from the research station, Harbottle devises a plan to have them killed, so the research station wouldn't be disclosed by the media.

He was voiced by the late William Lucas in the film.

Personality[]

Well, I'm very much concerned about it, naturally. I attach the greatest importance to finding and killing these dangerous dogs as soon as we possibly can. And that's what we're going to do. I believe my political--I mean, I believe public peace of mind positively requires--
~ William Harbottle's self-serving political motivations to have Rowf and Snitter exterminated.

William Harbottle is an egotistical, greedy, cruel, unscrupulous, and self-serving politician who only cares about money. He made reasons to kill Rowf and Snitter because he didn't want the public to find out about the two dogs being test animals and to prevent the research station from being disclosed by the media. Despite knowing that the dogs couldn't have gotten infected by the bubonic plague, he and his civil servants went on to announce that they may have gotten it to protect their political careers, even though the scientists at the lab stated that it was impossible.

According to Major Awdry, he saw the army's operation to kill the dogs primarily as a publicity stunt for his own benefit and the army's search for the two dogs also led to more disaster for the local farmers. He even went as far as to have the Parachute Regiment encroach onto a nature reserve to have the dogs shot, completely disregarding its policies restricting animal killings and bringing in firearms. When he and his senior civil servant, the Under Secretary arrive at the Drigg Nature Reserve to have the dogs shot after they were rescued from sea, he was told by Major Awdry that Alan Wood was their lawful owner.

Despite this advice, he still ordered Awdry to shoot the dogs and refused to leave when he was told by Major Rose that it's illegal to kill animals in his reserve until Digby Driver threatened to give him a bad reputation. After his authority has been challenged, he orders the Under Secretary to deal with the problem. When Rowf chases him away, Harbottle looks out in shock and panic, realizing that his plans to eliminate the dogs have failed and that his political career will be jeopardized.

History[]

Establishment of A.R.S.E.[]

You'll recall that a few years back, we--or our predecessors--advised the Secretary of State to accept the principal recommendations of the Sablon Committee and that meant, inter-alia, approval of the Lawson Park project; and a good deal of money for it in the annual estimates ever since. Lawson Park's always had its enemies, as you know, and someone may well try to argue that these wasters of public money have been negligent in letting the dogs escape. That could be embarrassing. It's bad enough the station having been sited in a national park in the first place.
~ The Under Secretary about the establishment of A.R.S.E.

After a political battle at Lawson Park, a research station called Animal Research: Scientific and Experimental had been approved and established by Harbottle as a mean of making public money through medical research. At the research station, Dr. Boycott and other scientists began to perform thousands of torturous experiments on animals.

Five years later, two dogs named Rowf and Snitter escape the laboratory and roam the countryside of the Lake District in search of a master until they are forced to kill livestock in order to survive in the wild with the help of a fox known as "the Tod". After a Jewish businessman named David Ephraim (Pierce Chetwynd in the film) was accidentally killed by Snitter via a gunshot to the face, the London Orator sends Digby Driver to investigate.

Trying to save face[]

Assistant Secretary: Awkward. If the media are intent on making a meal of this plague business, it could be extremely awkward.
Under Secretary: I agree. But tell me, could the dogs in fact have had any contact?
Assistant Secretary: Almost certainly not. Boycott says it's out of the question.
Under Secretary: But, uh... fleas, cracks, doors.
Assistant Secretary: Precisely. How can the Secretary of State stand up in the house and swear for certain that not a single flea escaped and popped on one of the dogs?
~ The Department of the Environment learning about the plague dog rumors.

When the Dawsons capture Snitter, they call the police and Stephen Powell heads out to retrieve him. However, the Tod comes and helps Snitter escape before the police could catch him. Digby Driver comes by and takes Powell back to the research station as he discusses about Dr. Goodner's defence work on bubonic plague. Driver later blackmails Goodner and he publishes a headline about Rowf and Snitter carrying the plague, causing mass hysteria in the public.

The Under Secretary and the Assistant Secretary later arrange a meeting with the Parliamentary Secretary, Basil Forbes and try to come up with a plan to advise the public that there is no way the dogs could have gotten infected. The Under Secretary then decides that he'll take matters in his own hands after hearing that the Assistant Secretary has departed for Lawson Park.

Operation Gelert[]

Captain Ridley: Excuse me, sir, but at that rate why are the blokes carrying live ammo?
Major John Awdry: I'll tell you why, and this is not to go any further. Because this damn' Cabinet Minister, Secretary of State, whatever he is, won't let us alone; and unless I'm very much mistaken, he sees this operation primarily as a publicity stunt for his own benefit. So orders are to carry live ammo. Intrepid paratroops--yes, real live paratroops, gentlemen, think of that--are combing the fells for the wicked Plague Dogs, all armed to the balls.
~ Major John Awdry about Operation Gelert.

When Geoffrey Westcott (Ackland in the film) tries to kill the dogs for raiding his groceries, he heads to the Dow Crag and only manages to shoot off Rowf's collar as he falls to his death. His corpse is devoured by the two starving dogs and his body was later found. The next day, Hot Bottle Bill and his civil servants meet at the House of Commons during a parliamentary debate. Harbottle informs his subordinates about Westcott's death and announces that he deployed the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment to exterminate the two dogs.

The next day, while the army is searching for the dogs, they learn that the dogs are headed to Ravenglass on a train and a reporter named William Williamson interviews with Major John Awdry on his thoughts about the dogs. Harbottle arrives in his limousine and Mr. Williamson chats with him as he wishes him good hunting to kill the two dogs. Major Awdry and his army then head over to Ravenglass to locate the dogs. Rowf and Snitter arrive at the Irish Sea and the army corners them. Snitter claims to see an island across the sea and heads out to sea with Rowf following him. Meanwhile, Digby Driver redeems himself and helps Alan Wood locate the dogs when they arrive at the Drigg Nature Reserve.

Defeat[]

William Harbottle: Major, can we get this unpleasant business over at once? Shoot the dog as quickly as you can, will you, please?
Major John Awdry: This is the dog's lawful owner, sir. In all the circumstances...
William Harbottle: The dog's owner? This is very unexpected news! I though the research station... Well, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it can't make any difference. Will you please carry on at once and shoot the dog?
Major John Awdry: With the greatert respect, sir. I am not responsible to you, but to my battalion commander. I don't intend to shoot the dog and I will tell my battalion commander my reasons at the first opportunity.
Major Jim Rose: I beg your pardon, sir, but I happen to be the warden of this nature reserve. No animal may be killed here, by law, and to bring in a firearm is illegal. I feel compelled to point out also that motor-cars, apart from my own, are not allowed and that you have no authority to have brought one in. I must respectfully ask you to leave at once.
William Harbottle: I don't think you understand.
Digby Driver: In case you don't know
me, Secretary of State, I'm Digby Driver of the London Orator. If it'll save me any time, I may as well tell you that if you have that dog shot Sir Ivor Stone and I will make your name stink from here to Buckingham Palace and the House of Commons. We can, you know.
~ William Harbottle unsuccessfully tries to have Rowf and Snitter shot.

The two dogs are rescued by two naturalists named Peter Scott and Ronald Lockley and they arrive at the nature reserve as the dogs are reunited with Wood. Harbottle and the Under Secretary arrive in their limousine and they greet Wood. Harbottle requests Major Awdry to shoot the dogs, but Awdry informs him that Wood is their lawful owner. Although Harbottle is surprised to hear the news, he insists on having the dogs shot and Major Awdry is reluctant to do so. However, the warden of the nature reserve, Major Jim Rose informs Harbottle that it's illegal to kill animals in his reserve and orders him to leave. Harbottle refuses to leave until Digby Driver threatens to give him a bad reputation if he kills the dogs. Harbottle retreats and orders the Under Secretary to deal with the problem. However, Rowf chases him away and they drive off as Driver takes pictures of Harbottle in his panicked state. Driver states that he will make Harbottle an embarrassment and humiliate him even more than Boycott, implying that Harbottle's project will be shut down.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Hot Bottle Bill is the Greater-Scope Villain of the story, as he is the one who was responsible for having A.R.S.E. set up in Lawson Park and therefore, he drives the plot.
  • In the film, Harbottle has only one off-screen scene where he announces his plan to have the army eliminate Rowf and Snitter.
  • Harbottle's name was never mentioned in the film. Instead, he is solely referred to as the Secretary of State. This was likely done to reduce Adams' satirical attack on society.

Navigation[]

           Pdil-removebg-preview Villains

Animal Research
The Director | Dr. Boycott | Dr. Goodner | Dr. Fortescue

London Orator
Sir Ivor Stone | Digby Driver

Department of the Environment
William Harbottle | Under Secretary

Others
Ackland

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