Lassie, a Rough Collie, is 'the world's most famous dog' and a fictional character who has starred in (or, more properly, in variations been the subject of) many movies, TV shows, and books from 1938 through 2006. Lassie was so popular that it is one of only three dog characters, and one of very few fictional characters considered "stars" who were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.