Shaggy Shelley Tales

Shaggy Shelley Tales is the first of a series of books about life with an Old English Sheepdog. It is told from Shelley's point of view. The first book introduces her to the Wheeler family and is a touching story of a loving dog needing a home and of a family needing a dog. The story is true and wrapped around the mysteries and joys of the Christmas season. Adults and children alike will experience the warmth, joy and true spirit of Christmas as they come to know Shelley, her new family, and the love shared by all. It gives meaning to the 1897 editorial appearing in the New York Sun with the famous response: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause." This real story couched in the surprise Christmas setting with a shaggy, gray Old English Sheepdog bedecked with a big red Christmas bow is a heart-warming story. Readers are sure to anticipate other equally charming adventures in the next book. An except from the opening chapter follows:

For all the long days since Merry, their cocker spaniel had died, Jenny and Tom had kept hoping for a dog. "A prissy, curly, white poodle would be good, or perhaps a big red dog like Katy, the Langs' Irish setter," Jenny thought.

Of course Tom also had a few thoughts on just the right dog. "A man's dog like Jeff's German shepherd would be good, or maybe a Great Dane would do just fine," he thought.

Daddy preferred a female dog and also kept thinking about a Bassett hound.

Mama thought a Bassett was a bit hard to cuddle, but she mainly wanted a housebroken dog.

Santa had to think long and hard about such lists. Clothes, jewelry, and tools were easy. He could load them onto his sleigh with no problems - but a dog? What kind? How big? Short hair? Long hair? A cuddly dog? A real man's dog? A little girl's dog? A house broken dog? WHAT AN ORDER!

Santa began his search for jut the right dog. It had to be big enough for Tom, but cuddly enough for Jenny. Poodles had curly hair, but German Shepherds had straight hair. He would never find a shaggy or curly German Shepherd and certainly not a three-foot-tall poodle with short, straight hair!

Santa and his elves searched. Perhaps Dr. Branch, the veterinarian, had a solution. "Do you know of a soft, cuddly, big dog?" Santa asked everywhere he went.

One day as he was picking up a television for Christmas Eve delivery, he asked the question one more time. This time he asked the television store salesman, "Do you know of a soft, cuddly, big dog that needs a home?"

The TV man's face lit up with a smile about three feet wide. "I have a friend who is about to move and cannot take his pet with him. She is soft, cuddly, big, needs a home, and she's housebroken!"