"Come on, Jake." "Come on, Jake." "Come on, boy." "Come on, Jake." "Come on, boy." "Come on, Jake." "Good boy." "Good boy." "Good boy." "Oh, Jake, your collar's getting too tight." "Here, let me loosen it." "Jake?" "Come on, we don't play with your collar." "Jake, come back here." "Will you come on, you silly dog?" "Grandpa!" "Grandpa, Grandpa!" " How's my Jenny?" " I missed you." "I missed you too, darling." " Did you bring me a surprise?" " Oh, darn it." "You know, I forgot all about that." "I was so busy." "It's okay." "You were working hard." "Not that hard." "You did remember." "You bet I remembered." "Why don't we go inside the house and open it up?" "Would you mind bringing that along, Stu?" " Oh, you are not gonna believe this." " Oh, yes, I will." "How do you know?" "You don't even know what I'm talking about." "Yes, I do." "All right, what am I talking about?" "Pollution in our drinking water." "I'm an angel, remember?" "Well, I still don't believe it." "Listen to this." ""The EPA--"That's the Environmental Protection Agency." " I know what the EPA is." " Will you just listen a minute?" ""The EPA will permit a polluter to dump up to 36,000 nanograms of PCBs per litre into underground drinking water." "Yet the EPA projects that out of 100,000 people drinking water with that amount of PCBs, 4600 people could get cancer."" " I know." " All right, you know that, but get this." ""If the level of PCBs in the water should exceed that..."" "What do you think the EPA makes the polluter do about it?" " Nothing." "All he's gotta do is report it." " How can that be?" "If the EPA doesn't protect us, who will?" "People." "They're gonna have to learn to protect themselves." " Oh, come on." "How?" " Have their drinking water tested." "Organise themselves and fight the people polluting their water." "Stop taking everything for granted, that the government's gonna do it for them." "You really think people are gonna do that?" "They're too worried about stuff like the bomb." "If they don't do something like that, there won't be anybody left to drop a bomb on." "Boy, I tell you, you know, we are really going to the dogs." "You got that right." "Would you mind telling me what we're doing here?" "This is our assignment." "We're gonna work here." "Oh, great." "Cleaning up after a bunch of dogs." "You call that angel work?" "Oh, yeah." "Well, so do I. So do I." "That's why dogs are called man's best friend." "Excuse me, I..." "All right, now, Arnold, you just stand still." "I'm almost done." "You don't wanna get your fur all tangled up, do you?" "I'd have to cut it." "You'd look silly walking around" " Excuse me." " Oh, dear Lord." "I didn't mean to startle you." "I'm Jonathan Smith." "We spoke on the phone." " Oh, yes, Mr. Smith." " This is Mark Gordon." " Hi." " Hello." "Pleased to meet you." "Well, now, why don't you follow me, and I'll show you what we're all about?" "Come on, Arnold." "I named him after Arnold Palmer." "I just love that man." " He's your dog, then?" " Him and about 25 others." " Thought this was a boarding kennel." " Well, it is." "But you'd be surprised how many people bring their dogs here and then never come back." " You're kidding?" " No, no." "It eases their conscience." "Instead of taking them to the pound, they bring them to me." "Then, if I have to send them, they don't feel so guilty." " Get my drift?" " Yeah." "Of course, I pick up a lot of strays." "Try to find homes for them." "If I can't, they stay with me." " Pretty tough way to make a living." " Oh, no." "I'm doing fine." "My husband left me well-off." "They need love." "I do too." "So it works out just fine." "There you are." "That's a good boy." "Yeah, all these dogs you see are mine." "Except for the ones that get good homes." "Well, no wonder you need help." "Oh, well, the times I need help are on visiting days." "Visiting days?" "Yeah, that's when I load up my Dog Mobile and I take my friends up to the old folks' home and to the child-care centre." "They don't let animals stay for any length of time in those places." " Well, I'll bet the kids love them, huh?" " Well, the old folks too." "Yeah, old folks are nothing but kids with wrinkles." "I'll tell you, we'd really like to work for you." "Well, your references are good." "But I gotta be honest with you," "I've had folks working for me before that knew their stuff, but they don't love the dogs." "And with dogs, love's the important thing." " Same with people." " Yeah." "You see Gruffy over there?" "Well, he's a new one." "And he's really misbehaving and being mean, because he's been abused." "He'll take a little time, but you can never lose your temper with him, now." "Get my drift?" "Yeah, I think so." "No." "No, you mustn't do that." "I said he needed time." "Don't worry, I'll be careful." "He shouldn't do that." "Oh, don't worry." "He has a way with them." "Easy, Gruffy." "Come on." "Easy, boy." "Easy, boy." "Come on, we're all not like that, believe me." "Come on, boy." "Well, I'll be." " You two want a job, you got it." " Good enough." "Okay, come on." "I'll show you where you're gonna bunk and where we keep the pooper-scoopers." "Jenny, next time you ask for a dollhouse, remind me to get one that's already put together, will you?" "It's okay." "You're doing real good, Grandpa." "Thank you, darling." "But if I don't stretch my legs, I'll never be able to get up." " Hello?" " It's Mommy." "Mommy, Daddy, wait till you see what Grandpa bought me." "Grandpa, you're gonna spoil her." "That's what grandfathers are for." "How did it go today?" "Jenny, do me a favour." "Would you get Daddy a nice tall glass of ice water?" "Okay, but don't look at my dollhouse until I get back." "I won't." " It worked." "She's pregnant." " You're kidding?" "Are you sure?" "We're sure." "You're gonna have a grandson." "I can't believe it." "I just can't believe it." "The miracle of modern medicine." " When are you gonna tell Jenny?" " Tonight, after supper." "A grandson." "Jake." "Come on, boy." "Jake." "Jake?" " Jenny." " Jake?" "Jenny, dinner, honey." "But I can't find Jake." "Well, he's probably around here somewhere." "We'll find him after dinner." "But I have to find him." "You know he's probably sleeping." "Now, come on in before dinner gets cold." "Jenny." "Now." "Mark." "Mark, come on, wake up." "Jonathan, what's going on?" "What are you doing?" " Come on, get dressed." " Get dressed?" " Come on, it's the middle of the night." " I know that." "We gotta go find a dog." "Oh, come on." "If you wanna go looking for strays, let's do it in the daylight." "They're easier to see." "This isn't just a stray." "He's our assignment." "You get dressed." "I'll warm up the car." "He doesn't need me for a partner." "He needs an owl." "Hey, hey, hold it." "Come on, you don't wanna be chasing that little dog." "Hey, come on, now, stop growling." "Come on." "Now, don't do that." "Hey, look, pal, I'm trying to be nice." "Okay." "Mark?" "Come on, boy." "Come on." "Come on, boy." "Come on." "Come on." "Well, I found him." "Poor dog is scared to death." "What was that noise I heard?" "Oh, that was me." "Oh, you ate some of Lil's chilli too, huh?" "Yeah." "Come on, let's get him back to the kennel." "What's so important about this dog anyway?" "I don't know." "I just know he's part of the assignment." ""All paths led to the heart of the forest." "Breathless from running, hair flying in the wind," "I listened for Whisper's voice."" " Did you find him?" " No, honey." "Now, look, don't worry, okay?" "We'll find him." "I'll look again first thing in the morning." "I'm afraid I'll never see him again." "He didn't even have his collar on." " It's my fault if he's lost forever." " No, no, it's not your fault, okay?" "Now, listen, your mom and I have something to tell you that I think just might cheer you up." "Come on." "Come on, you sit right over here." "Now, you know that Mom and I have been trying for a long time" " to have another baby." " Mom's pregnant?" "Now, hold on." "Who's telling this story?" "Remember when we learned how babies were made?" "Yeah." "The little fishies swim with all their might" " to the egg inside the mommy." " That's right." "And of all those fishies, only one gets there." "Right." "I bet I know what happens to all the rest of those fishies." "They get stepped on." "Well, Jenny, Mom doesn't have any more of those eggs." "So we've taken one of Daddy's little fishies and put it with someone else's egg." "That sounds weird." "I know." "It's called a surrogate mother." "And she lets the baby grow inside her tummy, and when he's born, she gives him to us." " She does?" " Yeah." "So in about six months, you're gonna have a baby brother." "Well, aren't you happy?" "I want a sister." "Yeah, but you always said you wanted a brother." "I know what I said, but I changed my mind." "I think it's a little late." "It's okay." "He'll be little." "I can make him play dolls if I want." "I suppose." "I wouldn't wanna be a suregot mother." ""Surrogate."" "Yeah, well, I wouldn't wanna be one." " I wouldn't wanna give my baby away." " Well, it's not her baby." "It's ours." "I still wouldn't." "But you're happy about it, aren't you?" " Yeah." " Good." "Good." "Okay, off to bed." "I'll be up in a minute." "Okay." "You know what would really make me happy?" "If I woke up in the morning and Jake was there." " Well, we're all set." " Oh, Miss Holly will be expecting you." "What is this group care home, anyway?" "Oh, it's mostly for kids that just couldn't seem to get along in foster homes." "You know, they- Most of them are disturbed, and a lot of them have been through hell, you know?" " A lot of them got abused, I guess." " Yeah, you guess right." "And besides, they're scared." "If only they had some kind of a chance to be adopted, to live like other kids in a family." "Well, why can't they be adopted?" "Adoptive mothers want babies." "Any child over 3 hasn't got much of a chance." "Well, go on." "The kids will be waiting." "See you, Lil." "Coming, children." " Oh, Brandon, are you all right?" " Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Miss Holly." " They sure love them, don't they?" " And vice versa." "Wednesday's the happiest day here, thanks to Lil and the dogs." "Jonathan, look at that sweetheart over there." "That's Janessa." "Now, I can't believe somebody wouldn't adopt her." "Oh, maybe at one time." "But it's really too late now." "What do you mean, maybe at one time?" "Well, when Janessa first came into the system, she was only 2 and a half." "But before a child can be adopted, there has to be a Permanency Planning hearing." "We call it a PP." "It's supposed to happen within 18 months, but our courts are so crowded, it's averaging more than four years." "And by that time, the child's beyond the age that parents want." "Some kids think they got it tough." " I'm playing with him." " Well, he doesn't like you." "He does too." "Now, get away." " Does not." " Does too." " Does not." " Does too." " Looks like we have a disagreement." " I'll give you a hand." " Does not." " Does too." " Does not." " Does too." "Does not." "Hey, why don't you go make a friend, huh?" "Hey, he wants to play with you." "I found him last night, all alone out in the woods." "What's the matter?" "Don't you like dogs?" "You ever have a dog?" "You're kidding?" "Hey, dogs are great." "I had one when I was a kid." "Named him Ike, after Eisenhower." "You know who that was?" "He was a great general, and he was the president of the United States." "Come on, look at him, he wants to play." "Why don't you go ahead?" "I bet you'd like him." "That's why." "What's why?" "That's why I don't wanna play with him." "Why?" "Because you'd like him?" "What's wrong with that?" "Because if I like him, then I'll love him." "And then someone will take him away." "So you don't have any dog that answers that description, huh?" "I see." "No, we've called them already." "Well, he usually does wear a collar." "Yeah, I know." "All right." "Thank you." "Well, no luck there." "But our ad's gonna be in that paper tomorrow." "Jake will show up." "I know it." "No, he won't." "Oh, now, honey, why do you say that?" "Because I prayed as hard as I could pray last night." "It didn't help." "Jenny, now, listen to me." "Do you think you're the only person in the whole wide world that's lost a dog?" "I mean, I'll bet that God is just loaded with prayers from people who are looking for their dogs." "You mean maybe he just hasn't had time to find Jake for me yet?" "That's right." "But in the meantime, we've gotta try to find him too." "So we're gonna keep putting that ad in the paper, and we're gonna keep on praying too." "Okay?" "Okay." "I'll tell you, Lil, I had more fun today than I've had in a month of Sundays." "I know." "That's why I do it." "I mean, those kids, their faces, they just light up." "Sure." "That's what a little love will do for you." "You know, Lil, I was thinking, now that we're here, maybe we could bring the dogs over more than just once a week." "Maybe every other day." "I think the kids would love it." " Oh, it'd be just fine with me." " Then we can do it?" "Oh, I'll have to call Miss Holly, but I know she won't mind." "Sure." "All right, good enough." "You know what?" "I like you boys." "You know what?" "The feeling's mutual." "Here we go, here we go." "You should've heard the children when I told them you'd come three times a week." "We're happy to do it, believe me." "We have as much fun as they do." "That little guy over there." "He's full of a lot of pain, isn't he?" "Alex." "He's been in several foster homes." "Hasn't worked out." "He won't let anyone get through to him." "He won't be touched, and he won't touch." "His mother took off when he was 2." "They took him away from his father because he beat the boy." "He went back again." "Same thing happened." " Well, where's his father now?" " Prison." "Manslaughter." "It's amazing to me." "No matter how many times his father beat him, he still wants him." "He's all he's ever had." "I'll be right back." "I have two turkeys in the oven to be basted." "Go to it." "Come on." "There you go." "Here." "Come on." "Get in here." "Get in there." "Come on." "Come on, in there." "Hey, in there." "Come on." "Good boy." "Jonathan." "I found them." "Alex took the pup to his room." " Oh, you're kidding?" " No." " I'll be back in a minute." "I'll get the pup." " Take your time." "Time to go, Alex." "Can't he stay a little more?" "He's resting." "I'm afraid he can't." "Mr. Smith has to get back." "Hey, we'll be back the day after tomorrow." "That's a long time." "Hey, you're gonna miss that pup, huh?" "Well, let me tell you something, he's gonna miss you too." "Tell him not to worry, everything's gonna be all right." "You're gonna see him in just two days." "Don't worry, I won't go away." "I'll be right here, and I'll see you in just two little days." "If it's all right, I'd like to bring a leash." "Then Alex could take the pup for a walk." "Oh, I'd like that." " Could I, Miss Holly?" " Of course." "You hear that?" "We can take a walk together." "Give me a kiss." " See you soon." " You take care." "We'll see you later." "Come on, boy." "Come on." "Come on." "That pup just loves me, you know." "Just me." " Where are you going?" " I gotta say goodbye to my pup." "Pup, pup!" "I love you, pup." "He loves you too, son." "Boy, I tell you, I can't stand reading the paper anymore." "All killing and fighting and accidents." "Why don't they write about something good that's going on?" " Guess it doesn't sell." " Yeah." " Thinking about the assignment, huh?" " Yeah." "I'm having fun with the kids and everything, but there's gotta be more to it." " No word from the boss?" " No." "Been a month, and nothing." "Hey, well, you don't hear me complaining, do you?" "This last month has been great." "I have had a ball with the old folks and the kids." "That's what they ought to write about in the paper." "Then maybe more people would get an idea to start a programme like Lil's." " Hey, wait a minute." "Maybe that's it." " It's what?" "Maybe that's the rest of the assignment." "Maybe we're supposed to get people to know so they will start programmes." "Hey, you mean I came up with the answer?" "You just might have." "I mean, one way or the other, it can't do any harm." "I think I'll go down to the newspaper and see if I can sell them on the idea." " Thanks, Mark." " Hey, don't mention it." "You have any problem, you just come to old Markaroo." "Came up with the answer." " This Lil sounds like quite a woman." " Oh, she is, believe me." "All right, Mr. Smith." "I'm interested." "I'd like to interview Lil first, and then take a photographer out to the home." "You just let me know when, I'll set it up." "When's the next day you have the dogs out there?" "Tomorrow." "We get there, generally, around 1:00 in the afternoon." "All right, then, tomorrow it is." "I'll be at Lil's around 11, and then follow you out to the home?" "That'd be terrific." "It was a pleasure meeting you, and thank you." " Well, thank you." " See you tomorrow." "Hello." "Is Mr. Raines there?" "Yes, Mr. Raines." "This is Jim Wilson at the Tribune." "We've been running your "lost dog" ad for the past month." "Yes." "Well, I wondered if you'd wish to continue the ad?" "Well, I hate to give up on it, but I really don't see any use in continuing with the ad." "If the dog were gonna be returned," "I'm sure that would have happened by now." "Yeah." "Yeah, I'm sorry too." "I certainly will." "That's very nice of you." "Okay." "Thank you." "Bye-bye." "I'm afraid Jenny overheard me cancelling that lost-and-found ad." "Well, it's for the best." "She'll hurt a little, but she'll get over it." "Oh, I know, but still..." "Well, what do you think of the baby's room?" " It's all finished." " What do I think?" "I think it's great." "One advantage of knowing the sex of the child, you can't go wrong with the colour." "And how are you feeling?" "Well, if you mean, am I over my sympathetic morning sickness?" "Yes." "Oh, Dad." "I'm so happy." " I'm so very happy." " So are we all, dear." "So are we all." "Look at that." " They really do love it, don't they?" " More than I can say." "See that little boy over there?" "That's Alex." "He's been in and out of foster homes since he came into the system." "Before he met that pup, he wouldn't let anyone near him." "Now he interacts with the other children." "He plays, he laughs." "He's a different person." "He has a living thing to love, and it loves him." "Jack?" "Get a shot of that boy with his pup." "You bet." " The paper, sir, it finally arrived." " Terrific." "It's too late to read it now." "I've got a 9:00 appointment." "Jason, I want you to call down there and tell them to deliver that paper by 7:30, or I'm cancelling." " They used to get it here by 6." " Right away, sir." "Thank you." "Morning, Jenny." "You're running a little behind this morning, missy." "I suppose." "Maybe you'd better just have some cold cereal, or you'll be late for school." "You know, I'm gonna be home around 3:30 this afternoon." "I thought we might take a little ride over to the mall and look around." "I don't feel like it, Grandpa." "Oh, come on." "Since when do you pass up a chance to go to the mall with Grandpa?" " I'm an easy touch, remember?" " I just don't feel like it." "Well, I gotta go, darling." "But I'll be back at 3:30, if you change your mind." "Grandpa!" "Grandpa!" "What's the matter, darling?" "Look, in the paper, it's Jake." "Well, Jenny, it looks like Jake." "But, you know, darling, there's a lot of dogs that look like Jake." " So you really can't" " It's Jake." "I know it's Jake, Grandpa." "Please, you have to call." " Jenny, I've got to" " Grandpa, please." " All right." "Stu, I'll be a little while yet." " I'll be right here." "Come along, young lady." "Let's find out if it's really Jake." "It is, Grandpa, it is." "You weren't wrong." "God did help us find him." "Jonathan, let me see the newspaper again." " You already read it five times." " I know, but I'm proud of myself." "I mean, it was my idea, you know." "You heard what Lil said." "The phone has been ringing off the hook." "People wanting info, wanting to help out any way they can." "Don't lose it." "I wanna give that picture to Alex." "Right." "They sure are cute together, aren't they?" " Boys, I just got a phone call." " Yeah?" "What's going on?" "You better leave that cute pup you found here." " Why?" " Some man just called." "His granddaughter thinks she's recognised the dog." "Hers ran off without a collar a month ago." "Can't be her dog." "Must be a hundred dogs that look like this." "I know." "But we gotta let her come out here and identify it anyway." "I don't know what I'm gonna tell Alex if it turns out to be that little girl's dog." "Well, it's not." "Come on, it's not." "They'll drive out here, look at this dog, and that'll be the end of it." " I just hope you're right." " Well, I am." "I know I am." "Jonathan!" "Jonathan, my picture was in the paper today with my dog." "Yeah, I know." "Look, I brought you a copy." "I thought you might wanna keep it." "Thanks." "Some of the kids got so excited, they tore the one we had." "Well, now you got a new fresh one, huh?" "I'm gonna put it right up on my wall, right after I play with my pup." "Look, Alex, I couldn't bring your dog today." " Is he sick?" "Is he gonna die?" " Hey, now, take it easy, Alex." " Your dog's fine." "He's gonna be fine." " Then why didn't you bring him?" "Well, some people saw that picture in the paper, and they seem to think that it's their dog." "But he's my dog." "He loves me." "Yeah, I know that." "But we have to give those people a chance to see the dog to make sure." "It's only fair." "Hey, Alex, I bet the people will drive over, look at the dog and say, "Hey, darn it, that's not my dog."" "And that'll be the end of it." " I'm scared." " Hey, well, don't be." "Just listen to old Mark here." "Everything's gonna be all right." "You just wait and see." "I wanna know." "When will we find out?" "Well, they should be at the kennel right about now." "We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed, okay?" "Mark, you can handle things here." "I'm gonna run over to the kennel." "If everything's all right, I'll bring the boy's pup." "Yeah, that's a good idea." "Poor little guy's gonna worry himself sick over nothing." "Yeah, I hope you're right." "Right out this way." "Lucky for you he had his picture taken by the newspaper." "Well, here he is." "What do you think?" " Well, he sure looks like your pup." " It has to be him." "Come here, Jake." "Come here, boy." "Come here, Jake." " It is you, Jake." "It is you." " It's him." "Isn't that good?" "He's back." "It was their dog?" "Yeah, I'm afraid so." "Where's Alex?" "Up in his room." "I told him you were coming back." "He's too nervous to stay down here." "I mean, he's..." "I better go tell him." "Mr. Smith." "Where's my pup?" "I'm sorry, Alex." "Don't be sorry." "I know Miss Holly doesn't allow dogs upstairs." "So I'll just get my shoes on, and I'll be right down." "You know, Mark was right." "There's probably a lot of-- It wasn't their dog in the first place." "You know, I was worried about nothing." "There's probably a lot-- A million dogs that look like my dog." "You know, he was probably more scared than I was." " You know, he's all I got." " Alex, there was nothing I could do." "Get out!" "Get out!" "Get out of here!" "Get out!" "Get out." "Me and my great ideas." "Come on, Mark, I told you, you can't blame yourself." "What happened happened." "It was the girl's dog." "Besides, if anyone's to blame, it's me." "I'm the one that brought the pup to the boy in the first place." "Why didn't the boss give us a clue, let us know we were doing something wrong?" "I don't know." "All I knew was that the dog was part of the assignment." "There must be something we can do." "Yeah, but what?" "What?" "He's closed out everything again." "All the gains of the past month, all gone." "You know, that pup was his life." " What if he could see the pup again?" " What do you mean?" "What if I asked the owners if he could visit, see the dog?" "I don't know." "Then he'd have to say goodbye to him." "He's been through that once." "I know, but it just might make him feel better to know the dog's all right, that he's happy." "Look, I'm not saying it's an answer." "But I'm grasping at straws too, you know." "I know." " You think they'd let him visit?" " All I can do is ask." "I just wanted to check with you first, make sure it's all right." "Why not?" "He can't feel any worse than he does now." "Okay." " Jenny?" " Grandpa, Jake's the same." "He won't play and he won't do anything." "As I told you, he's been that way ever since he came back." " Jenny, this is Mr. Smith." " Hi, Jenny." "Hello." "Mr. Smith and I have been talking, and he thinks he might know what's wrong with Jake." "You do?" "Can you help him?" "Well, Jenny, I'll tell you, I'm not so sure about that." "See, when Jake was away from you, he was with a little friend of mine named Alex." "And they got to love each other a lot, a whole lot." "Then, all of a sudden, they were separated." "Now Alex feels awful." "I thought maybe that's what's wrong with Jake here." "But Jake's my dog." "Oh, I know that, and I know you love him." "I just wondered if I could bring my little friend by and let him see Jake again." "But I don't want Jake to love your friend more than he loves me." "Oh, I think Jake here's got enough love for the both of you." "Jenny, it's like I told you about Mom and Dad." "Pretty soon you're gonna have a new brother." "They're gonna love him, but not any more than they love you." "And you think Jake might be happy again if he saw your friend?" "He just might." "Okay, he can come."