Millionaire Dogs

The Story

Miss Lilly is a rich, generous, and more than just-a-little wacky old lady who dotes on her beloved pets, and has turned her sprawling house into a home for an unlikely collection of strays.

Every dog will have his day, and every kid will recognize themselves in one of these characters: At the center of the pack is J.D., the city-smart, one-time street-dog tramp. He may look like a loner, but when the chips are down his natural leadership shines through. Velvet, the adorably trendy teenager with the ever-present headset on her fluffy ears; Sherman, the oversized security-guard-cum-bodybuilder; the brainy, puzzle-solving Chuffie; and Bella, the glamorous circus beauty with a real soft spot for J.D. The wisecracking Emmo, a landlubber parrot who can't quite work up the nerve to fly, rounds out the gang.

The happy camaraderie at "Miss Lilly's House of Pets" includes roaring motorcycle rides (with Miss Lilly in the lead) against spectacular nighttime cityscapes, and "family band" jam sessions fueled by a dynamic pop score.

The only clouds on the horizon are Miss Lilly's horrible niece Hannie and her even nastier nephew Ronald. These two connivers would do anything to get rid of those dogs and have the house all to themselves! They dream of the day when they can ship their Aunt Lilly out to a pet-free zone in some retirement home after dropping all those mutts off at the pound. Miss Lilly's weak heart finally does give out, but not before she's made a will leaving her home and one million dollars to her beloved menagerie.

Naturally, this dastardly duo isn't about to go down without a fight. Hannie and Ronnie hit the dog-law books, and come up with an obscure clause: If the pets abandon the house for 48 hours, the property reverts to the closest human relative. They employ the services of crooked pet psychologist Dr. Quack to lure the pets out of their home - and keep them out. Permanently!

And the dogs themselves aren't helping matters much. We know that money can't buy happiness, but all this easy money sure seems to have gotten a volume discount on pure havoc. There's no end to the squabbling as each dog indulges some self-centered fantasy - an egotistically twisted version of the loveable talents we have seen in each of them.

The evil Dr. Quack knows just how to exploit these selfish dreams: When he offers Velvet a ride in his limo and a trip to popstardom, the little Britney-wanna-be hops right in.

Sherman, Bella, and Chuffie are just as easily seduced with false promises of fame in the fields of sports, acting and science, and they, too, are abducted by Dr. Quack! But J.D. is nowhere to be found. Disgusted with the new selfishness and discord at the mansion, he has quietly returned to his peaceful old life camping out under the bridge.

When J.D. hears about the kidnappings, though, he knows he's really needed, and his loyalty to the band goes into overdrive. He takes off on an exciting motorcycle chase/rescue-over land and sea-and, one by one, saves the endangered pooches.

The pets now recognize how much they mean to each other. They suddenly realize that money can't compare to friendship. But they have only a few hours to outwit Hannie and Ronnie and save their mansion and their whole inheritance. In a crackling climax, they pull together as a team to put on an incredible fright show and scare off the twins.

Once again, each pet gives a performance that showcases his or her unique individual talents. But this time it's for a good cause: saving the whole team. By working together they turn the tables on Hannie and Ronnie and win back their home just in the nick of time.

And, in a soul-stirring ending that perfectly reflects the generous spirit of Miss Lilly, they turn Villa Lilly into a sanctuary for all homeless creatures: "To take care of others, as Miss Lilly took care of us". The friends are happily back together, and soon, other helpless animals from all over the city are also discovering a new happy home.