Synopsis for family entertainment genre film- P.I. PUP
Logline: A wayward pup solves a mystery that has dogged the entire police force.
Shyla’s intelligent and well bred mother, Belle, hides her pups from ruthless breeders that are only interested in the profits that purebreds will bring. Dr. Yulch and Larry Smithers, his assistant and security guard, have no use for the mixed bred pups. While she does the best she can to feed them and keep them hidden in the corner of the barn, the sinister Dr. Yulch decides it’s time to change locations when he fears that the locals will soon find their illegal puppy mill operation.
Shyla and the other mixed breed pups are left to fend for themselves. They get into mischief at every turn, trying to make themselves at home for the winter. A wise old barn owl, Webster, helps them stay alive long enough for a rescue worker from a shelter to finally find them.
Shyla is spotted on-line by one the Sherman kids. Their father, Todd, a police chief of small town, formerly owned “Duke”, a brave police dog that died in the line of duty. He’s never really gotten over the loss and is reluctant to take on a small female mutt like Shyla. Unable to dissuade the kids, he finally gives in and lets them adopt from the shelter. She is known as Shy-lady, or Shyla, the rescue worker explains.
Shyla is small and timid, and has trouble adjusting to family life. She fears uniformed men, scavenges and hides food, and tears open a couch and pulls out the stuffing in an effort to make a bed like she had in the barn. When she follows a creature she thinks may be one of her family, it turns out to be a skunk and she gets sprayed. The family doesn’t realize that Shyla is still on a mission to reunite her family.
Dog lovers, including the Sherman family, that had been watching the dog show on TV, are in shock that the champion beagle, Rex, has been abducted. Rex is the mascot for his master’s pet supply stores, and well known to all the kids. Shane Sherman, a ten year old who loves to solve mysteries, analyzes and monitors all of the TV coverage.
Shane gets a detective hand book and accessories for his birthday, and he and his friends are on the case of the missing champion, Rex. Shyla tags along and tries to stay out of trouble, but is really interested in finding her mother whom she fears may be in danger.
When Shyla spots a truck similar to the one that took her mother away, she realizes that the security guard that was interviewed by the cops at the site of the dog-napping is the same one that mistreated her, and her mother. Webster, the barn owl that had befriended her, takes up the search when Shyla can’t keep up with the truck.
When Webster returns from his recognizance mission he finds that Shyla has been tied up in the yard because she ran away. The family can’t understand why she tries to escape and even Shane begins to question her loyalty. He tries to make excuses for her, fearing that the family will put her up for adoption again, because his father, comparing her to Duke, is convinced she’s just a bad dog that doesn’t appreciate her new family.
While out on a call, Todd Sherman, stumbles on to the illegal breeders and the stolen animals. The security guard maces him and ties him up in the corner of the barn.
With the entire town searching for Todd, Shane is left to care for Shyla. Shane, distraught about his missing father, leaves the door open just a crack when the phone suddenly rings. Shyla escapes, and Shane can’t catch her as she runs into the woods.
Shyla meets up with Webster and he leads her to the breeders. Dr. Yulch had Rex kidnapped in retribution for losing his former pet store business to the ‘Pet fur Us’ store owned by Wade Gancy, Rex’s owner. The breeders are packing up and leaving town again and must decide what to do with their captured cop. Shyla tries to free him but is unable. She manages to free some of the dogs and leads a chase back to town with the police badge as proof that she knows where the breeders are holding Todd.
Rex is returned to his grateful owner. Dr. Yulch and Dr. Smithers are arrested.
Shyla’s mother is proud to have such an intelligent pup and is returned to her former owner, an elderly woman who needs her more than ever, and teaches Shyla that it’s time for her to find her place in the world too.
Todd and the entire family finally praise Shyla for saving Todd and solving the mystery of the abducted champ. Todd explains that Duke was a great police dog, but never closed a case like Shyla did. Shane, who loves detective stories, puts a deerstalker hat on Shyla and makes a sign that reads, ‘Sherlock Shyla, P.I. PUP’.
Epilogue: It turns out that Shyla’s father is a bloodhound. A case involving him and his special sniffing abilities would be a great sequel.
