The Gallant One (1964)

A young boy is cared for by an uncle when his father, a widower, is arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Needing money to hire a lawyer, the uncle sells the boy's pet burrow, but spends the money on a drinking binge. The burrow subsequently dies, and the despondent boy is nearly run down by a car driven by the man who had his father arrested. He ultimately proves his father's innocence, and is rewarded with a new pet burrow.