Bara no Hana to Joe (1977)

It's a Sanrio picture that feels partly like an anime art film and partly like a Warner Bros. cartoon. The film features some very creative imagery, a groovy 70's jazz score, and very little spoken dialogue. It's a story about a dog named Joe that falls in love with a rose and protects it from a mean-spirited crow. There's some energetic Friz Freleng style action, and also some unexpectedly grim tragedy. (Source: animenation.net)