''The Search for Santa Paws'' is a 2010

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...

released on November 23, 2010. The film is the tenth film in the ''

Air Bud ''Air Bud'' is a 1997 sports comedy film directed by Charles Martin Smith. The film was financially successful, grossing $4 million in its opening weekend and totaling $27.8 million in its run against an estimated $3 million budget. Plot After ...

'' franchise and is also a

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...

to ''

Santa Buddies ''Santa Buddies'', also known as ''Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws'', is a 2009 American Christmas comedy film. It is the fourth installment of the ''Air Buddies'' spin-off series as well as the ninth film in the ''Air Bud'' franchise. It ...

'', as well as a spin-off from the ''

Air Buddies ''Air Buddies'' is a 2006 American sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some case ...

'' film franchise.

Plot

At the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

, while celebrating his birthday, Santa Claus receives a letter and gift from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, informing him of the passing of old friend and toy store owner Mr. Hucklebuckle, who was an ambassador for "The Santa Cause", an organization of delegates who embrace and encourage Christmas spirit around the world. To cheer Santa up, his head elf Eli uses the great Christmas icicle to bring the gift, a stuffed dog, to life. Santa names the puppy Paws and the two become best friends. In New York, recently-orphaned Quinn arrives at the 64th Street Home For Girls, an orphanage run by Ms. Stout, an unstrict and ugly old woman who disapproves of anything that the children love, often stealing and destroying them in her

incinerator Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities. Incineration and other high ...

in the house's basement. Despite the unstrict problem, she has to get rid of all of her pesky junk. Quinn befriends the other girls, including the oldest, Willamina "Will", who has lost her Christmas spirit since the death of her own parents when she was Quinn's age. Meanwhile, Mr. Hucklebuckle's grandson James, a CPA from

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and his wife Kate arrive at his toy store and are informed by their caseworker Mr. Stewart that they must run the store profitably for one Christmas season in order to gain ownership. They decide to hire a store Santa to bring in customers, intending to sell the store once they have ownership. Santa and Paws decide to travel to New York to visit Hucklebuckle's store, landing in

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

. On the streets, Santa bumps into Ms. Stout, falls into the street and is hit by a cab. Paws tries to ask for help, which leads to him and Santa getting separated. Santa is hospitalized and his magical crystal is stolen by homeless man Gus. He recovers, but has amnesia, and when nobody appears to claim him, James and Kate take him in and give him a job as their store Santa, where he quickly becomes popular with the public. Learning of the situation, Eli and his uncanny elf dog Eddy go to New York, where they recruit local

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

Jimmy to help. Eventually, they find Gus and get him to return Santa's crystal to them. However, Santa soon lands back in the hospital after being without his crystal too long. Meanwhile, Paws meets Quinn and is secretly brought back to the orphanage, where he befriends the girls and uses his crystal's magic to give them Christmas cheer, including hobby horses, Christmas bedding, and even Christmas decor and dresses. However, Ms. Stout discovers this and locks Paws and Will (who takes the fall for Quinn) in the basement, stealing Quinn's late mother's angel ornament (the last thing her mother gave her before her passing) and Paws's crystal. As a result, Paws reverts to stuffed animal form by the next morning. When Ms. Stout discovers this, she assumes Paws escaped and attempts to put him into the incinerator (since she almost burned him), but he is narrowly saved by Quinn before he can let him fall and he died as the incinerator is ruined, and it was all of wicked lady's fault. Eli, Eddy, and Jimmy then arrive and reunite Paws with his crystal, restoring him to life. Ms. Stout returns home as met as the door opens as a social worker named Mrs. Gibson who informs her that she removed from the orphanage by count order (since she fired, and she lost everything) as the girls push her off down to the sidewalk. After explaining the situation to everyone, Will and Quinn leave with them to help Santa. After arriving at the hospital and finding Santa near death, they reunite him with his crystal, but its magic has been too used up to work. Paws then sacrifices his crystal's magic to restore Santa's, reverting him to stuffed animal form once more while saving Santa's life. Santa, Eli and Eddy rush back to the North Pole and reach the main crystal just in time. Paws returns to life as a full-grown dog named Santa Paws and the holiday is saved. Back in New York, much to the girls’ excitement, Mrs. Gibson invites Gus to spend the holiday at the orphanage. Santa Paws and Santa reunite with Quinn, Will, James and Kate on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

, returning Quinn's mother's ornament to her before continuing their deliveries. Mr. Stewart returns

the next day ''The Next Day'' is the 25th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released in March 2013. It was his first studio release in ten years, having retreated from public view after his 2004 heart attack. Co-produced by Bowie and longtime c ...

and James and Kate tell him that they ran the store profitably, and they decide to keep the store and continue the Hucklebuckle legacy after introducing him to the girls, whom they have adopted as their daughters.

Cast

Kaitlyn Maher Kaitlyn Ashley Maher (born January 10, 2004) is an American teen singer and actress known for being the Youngest Top 10 Finalist on America's Got Talent and for her roles in films such as ''The Search for Santa Paws'', '' Santa Paws 2'', ''Free B ...

as Quinn Hucklebuckle, an orphaned girl who believes in the true spirit of

; after her parents passed away, she is sent to an orphanage in

. She finds Paws in the

alley An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane ...

behind the orphanage. She owns an

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

ornament that was given to her by her late mother. She, alongside Will, is later adopted by James and Kate. *

Madison Pettis Madison Michelle Pettis (born July 22, 1998) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Sophie Martinez on the Disney Channel comedy series '' Cory in the House'', as Peyton Kelly in the 2007 film '' The Game Plan'', and as Allie Bro ...

as Willamina "Will" Hucklebuckle, the oldest girl in the orphanage who serves as a big sister figure to Quinn. After her parents died when she was young, she lost her Christmas spirit as well as its true meaning until she finds a

treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

in the basement with Paws. She often gets the full blame for Quinn and all the other girls’ behavior due to her being the oldest. She, alongside Quinn, is later adopted by James and Kate. *

Richard Riehle Richard Riehle (born May 12, 1948) is an American character actor. He portrayed Walt Finnerty on ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005) and The Warden on ''The Young and the Restless'' (2007). He also appeared in over 200 films, including '' Glory'' ...

Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...

. *

Danny Woodburn Daniel Charles Woodburn (born July 26, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and activist for the disability rights movement linked to his dwarfism. He played Mickey Abbott on the sitcom '' Seinfeld''. He has more than 150 television and 30 ...

as Eli, Santa's head elf. *

Wendi McLendon-Covey Wendi McLendon-Covey (née McLendon; born October 10, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is known primarily for her work in comedic and improvisational roles. Since 2013, McLendon-Covey has played the role of Beverly Goldberg, a fami ...

as Ms. Stout, the greedy and child-hating owner of the orphanage and the main

villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

of the film. She finds Christmas, toys and anything that children love offensive. Will is her main target to place blame on for everything that the other girls do due to her being the oldest. She is eventually sacked and evicted from the orphanage after her abusive treatment of the girls is brought to light. *

John Ducey John Joseph Ducey (born January 21, 1969) is an American actor who has appeared in over 20 television shows, mainly sitcoms. Early life Ducey was born in Endwell, New York and graduated from Seton Catholic Central High School in 1987. He was an ...

as James Hucklebuckle, Kate's husband and grandson of the late Mr. Hucklebuckle. *

Bonnie Somerville Bonnie Somerville (born February 24, 1974) is an American actress and singer. She has had roles in a number of movies and television series, most notably as Mona in ''Friends'', ''NYPD Blue'', ''Grosse Pointe'', '' The O.C.'', ''Cashmere Mafia ...

as Kate Hucklebuckle, James' open-minded wife. *

Chris Coppola Christopher Coppola (born November 26, 1968) is an American actor, voice artist, and comedian. Career Chris is best known for his roles in such movies as ''Friday the 13th'', ''Far Cry'', '' Postal'', ''Loveless in Los Angeles'', ''The Polar Ex ...

as Augustus "Gus", a poor homeless man who takes Santa's magic crystal, unaware of its power. *

Jonathan Morgan Heit Jonathan Morgan Heit (born July 16, 2000) is an American former teen actor and currently a gallerist. He is known for his role in the Adam Sandler film, '' Bedtime Stories'', where he played Patrick. He also directed and wrote a short film enti ...

as Jimmy, a boy scout who helps search for Santa. *

G Hannelius Genevieve Knight Hannelius (born December 22, 1998) is an American actress, singer, and YouTube personality who made her acting debut starring as Courtney Patterson on the ABC series ''Surviving Suburbia'' (2009). She had recurring roles on the ...

as Janie, Will’s best friend in the orphanage. *

Michelle Creber Michelle Nicole Creber (born September 7, 1999) is a Canadian actress and singer who is best known as the voice of Apple Bloom (and the singing voice of Sweetie Belle until 2013) in the TV series '' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic''. Biog ...

as Taylor, an orphan. * Kathryn Kirkpatrick as Mrs. Gibson, a kind CPS social services woman who takes over the orphanage after Ms. Stout is sacked. * Melody B. Choi as Mary, an orphan. * Nicole Leduc as Meg, an orphan. *

Patrika Darbo Patrika Darbo (born April 6, 1948) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Nancy Wesley and Shirley Spectra in the television soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful'', respectively. In 2016, Darbo won a ...

Mrs. Claus Mrs. Claus (also known as Mrs. Santa Claus or Mrs. Santa) is the legendary wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition. She is known for making cookies with the elves, caring for the reindeer, and preparing toy ...

. * Peter Gardner as Franklin, Ms. Stout's boyfriend who works as a

dogcatcher An animal control service or animal control agency is an entity charged with responding to requests for help with animals ranging from wild animals, dangerous animals, or animals in distress. An individual who works for such an entity was once kno ...

. *

Bill Cobbs William Francisco Cobbs (born June 16, 1934) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in movies such as Louisiana Slim in '' The Hitter'' (1979), Water in ''The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), and as Lewis Coleman on ''I'll Fly Aw ...

as Mr. Stewart, James and Kate's caseworker who says they must successfully run Hucklebuckle toys profitability for one Christmas season.

Voice cast

Zachary Gordon Zachary Adam Gordon (born February 15, 1998) is an American actor. He rose to prominence by playing Greg Heffley in the first three films of the ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' film series. He then went on to play Tate Wilson in '' Good Trouble'' and Ja ...

as Paws, a young

Great Pyrenees The Pyrenean Mountain Dog (french: Chien de Montagne des Pyrénées) is a breed of livestock guardian dog from France, where it is commonly called the Patou. The breed comes from the French side of the Pyrenees Mountains that separate France an ...

who is Santa’s dog and best friend. **

Mitchel Musso Mitchel Tate Musso (born July 9, 1991) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in ''Hannah Montana''; Jeremy Johnson in the animated series ''Phineas and Ferb''; and his Disney XD role ...

as Santa Paws. *

Richard Kind Richard Bruce Kind (born November 22, 1956) is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles as Dr. Mark Devanow in ''Mad About You'' (1992–1999, 2019), Paul Lassiter in ''Spin City'' (1996–2002), Andy in ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' (2002 ...

as Eddy, a happy-go-lucky

Jack Russell Terrier The Jack Russell Terrier is a small terrier that has its origins in fox hunting in England. It is principally white-bodied and smooth, rough or broken-coated and can be any colour. Small tan and white terriers that technically belong to oth ...

who is Eli's assistant. *

Jason Connery Jason Joseph Connery (born 11 January 1963) is a British actor and director. He is the son of Sean Connery and Diane Cilento. On screen, he is best known for appearing in the third series of the ITV drama series ''Robin of Sherwood'' in 1986. He ...

as Haggis, a

Scottish Terrier The Scottish Terrier ( gd, Abhag Albannach; also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly called the Scottie, is a breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of terrier that were grouped under the name of ''Skye Terrier'', it is one o ...

who's "always ready to take action", befriends Paws and is looking to get off Santa's Naughty List. *

Christopher Massey Christopher Michael Massey (born January 26, 1990) is an American actor, best known for his role as Michael Barret on the Nickelodeon television series ''Zoey 101'' (2005–2008). Career Massey started his acting career at a young age, appear ...

as Rasta, a reggae Puli who is "laidback" and "easygoing", befriends Paws and is looking to get off Santa's Naughty List. *

Josh Flitter Joshua Alexander Flitter (born August 25, 1994) is an American actor. He is known for playing Corky in ''Nancy Drew'', Eddie in ''The Greatest Game Ever Played'', and voiced Rudy Kangaroo in the 2008 animated film ''Horton Hears a Who!'' and Budd ...

as T-Money, a streetwise hip-hop

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is of medium size, a muscular, hefty dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose.Diedrich Bader Karl Diedrich Bader (born December 24, 1966) is an American actor and comedian who is best known for his comedy roles. He has appeared as a series regular in television sitcoms ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''American Housewife'', and '' Outsourced'' ...

as Comet, one of Santa's

reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...

. * Michael Deyermond as Dancer, another one of Santa's reindeer. *

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...

As Flain, A Leader Of Infernites, Teslo, The Leader Of Electroids And Siesmo, An Bully Of Cragsters * David P. Smith As Krader, The Worried Leader With Volectro And Crazy Zorch *

Dave Fennoy Dave Fennoy is an American voice actor. His video game roles have included Lee Everett in '' The Walking Dead'', Bluebeard in ''The Wolf Among Us'', Finch in ''Tales from the Borderlands'', Gabriel the Warrior in '' Minecraft: Story Mode'', and ...

As Boogly And Globert, The Glowkies

Reception

Angela Walker, writing for

ChristianCinema.com ChristianCinema.com, Inc. is a Christian film production company as well as a distribution company, founded in 1999, by brothers Bobby Downes and Kevin Downes. In addition, the website reviews both theatrical released movies (over 6000 currently), ...

, gave the DVD 3 stars out of 5, but said that the film fits the normal Disney DVD formula. However she went on to say that the film was predictable and clichéd, but that kids would enjoy it and that the film adds to the "spirit of Christmas."

Sequel

A sequel, '' Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups'' was released on November 20, 2012.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Search For Santa Paws, The Canadian direct-to-video films 2010 direct-to-video films 2010s fantasy adventure films American direct-to-video films 2010s English-language films American children's adventure films American Christmas films Canadian Christmas films Children's Christmas films Direct-to-video prequel films Disney direct-to-video films Fictional dogs Films about dogs Films directed by Robert Vince Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Film spin-offs Air Bud (series) 2010s Christmas films English-language Canadian films 2010 films 2010s Canadian films Canadian children's adventure films 2010s American films Santa Claus in film American children's fantasy films Canadian children's fantasy films