Scene
1 -
A Whimsical Turn: The Beginning of an Adventure
SCRIPT TITLE
Written by
Giacomo Giammatteo
Based on my book by the same name.
Jim Giammatteo
22018 Thorngrove Lane
Spring, TX 77389
Cell# (281) 370-2233 [email protected]
ii.
FADE IN:
GIACOMO (V.O.)
It's difficult to tell a story
about the beginning of something
when you don't know the end. Or at
least don't know all of the end.
For now, let's just say this is a
story about two of the most
magnificent and crazy dogs I've
ever known — both of them.
(A beat)
This began as a simple adventure
for my wife and me — buy some land
to retire on. But when Bear and
Whiskers showed up, everything
changed. Soon, the 'simple
adventure' became an animal
sanctuary with more than fifty
animals.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
2 -
A Final Resting Place
EXT. SANCTUARY - North Houston — DAY
GIACOMO (50s, deep voice, determined and usually laughing)
climbs up on the tractor, a Kubota with a six-foot bucket on
the front.
Giacomo digs deep into the ground, then gets off the tractor,
inspects the progress, and turns to MIKKI (50, serious but
soft-hearted, emotional and humorous, wears jeans and a
sports shirt, and worries about money).
GIACOMO
This damn Texas dirt. It's like
concrete in the summer.
He wipes sweat from his forehead with a cloth and takes a
swig of water.
Mikki also takes a drink and inspects the gravesite.
MIKKI
I know this old tractor's dug a lot
of graves, but it's got some use
left in it.
Giacomo ties a cloth diaper around his forehead and drapes
the end of it over the top of his bald head.
MIKKI (cont’d)
Trying to save that scalp?
Giacomo laughs and revs the engine. He lifts the front loader
and drives it deep into the hole.
2
Mikki sits on the ground next to a few blankets and a clean
sheet. For this one, she has a pillow too.
Giacomo reaches up and wipes his eyes.
MIKKI (cont’d)
You okay?
Giacomo nods and turns his head.
GIACOMO
Just getting tired of burying
things. Damned tired.
SANCTUARY - CONTINUOUS
An old white pickup creeps down the gravel driveway and comes
to a stop near the fence. OLD JOE (60s, limping) gets out of
the truck, places his hands on the top rail, and leans over
the fence.
He uses his right hand to make a shield for his eyes so the
sun doesn't blind him.
OLD JOE
What's goin' on?
Giacomo sighs and whispers to Mikki so Joe can't hear.
GIACOMO
I wish he'd have kept going.
Giacomo faces Joe and hollers.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Nothin', Joe.
Joe fiddles with the lock on the gate but can't get it to
open.
OLD JOE
Need any help?
Giacomo turns off the engine and climbs down. He clears his
throat a few times as he walks toward Joe and hollers back.
GIACOMO
Diggin' a grave.
OLD JOE
A grave? Which one died?
3
GIACOMO (V.O.)
Which one? That's what it had come
to for most of the neighbors and
relatives and friends.
(a beat)
Which one died? As if it didn't
matter. As if having fifty-five
animals made it easier to deal with
when one of them died.
Joe finally gets the gate unlocked, and comes inside the
fence. He heads toward the grave, walking slowly.
Giacomo stares blankly as Joe steps closer. He gestures to
the blankets and pillows Mikki has sitting next to her.
OLD JOE
I just saw the pillows, and I
figured ...
Giacomo uses the cloth covering his head to wipe away tears.
GIACOMO
You're right, Joe. It's never easy
to bury a friend, but this one ...
this one was special.
Joe grabs a shovel and jumps into the hole to dig it deeper.
He removes his hat and swipes his forehead.
OLD JOE
Whew! Hasn't rained in weeks, and
this damn ground is as hard as
concrete. Even if that tractor
could've gone deeper, we'd have had
to dig a lot by hand.
Joe stops digging and takes a swig of water.
OLD JOE (cont’d)
Who was it?
Giacomo opens his mouth to speak, but what comes out is
garbled; instead, he gestures to Mikki.
She lifts the corner of the blanket so Joe can see.
OLD JOE (cont’d)
Oh, crap! I'm sorry. I know how
much that pup meant to you.
4
GIACOMO
Thanks, Joe. Why don't you step out
and let me try to dig that hole
deeper with the tractor.
Giacomo cranks the engine up a little higher, shoves the
tractor into low gear, and positions the bucket for another
scoop of dirt.
The bucket hits the ground with a metallic thud, but it
barely breaks the surface of the next layer of dirt.
Joe unbuttons his shirt, picks up his shovel, and climbs into
the hole.
OLD JOE
Might as well get this done. It's
not gettin' any cooler, and it
looks like it'll be a long day.
Giacomo nods, climbs down from the tractor, gets a shovel,
and joins Joe in the hole.
GIACOMO
You're right, but I'm in no hurry
to put another friend into the
ground.
OLD JOE
How long they been with you?
GIACOMO (V.O.)
“They” or “them.” Bear and Whiskers
or Whiskers and Bear. It was a cold
day in July if anyone mentioned one
without the other.
Giacomo hands Joe a half-full bottle of water.
GIACOMO
They've been with us a long time,
Joe. A damn long time.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
A Surprising Proposal
EXT. GIACOMO'S HOUSE - HOUSTON — DAY
FLASHBACK: TWELVE YEARS EARLIER
Giacomo walks into the foyer and is greeted by three overly
enthusiastic dogs, wagging their tails and jumping up on him.
Mikki sits at the kitchen table sipping on a cup of tea, her
face all smiles.
5
GIACOMO
What's up with you today? You look
like the cat that ate the canary.
A GRUNT sounds from the living room, then Giacomo steps back
as a small pig walks into the kitchen. When the pig sees
Giacomo, it squeals so loud that Giacomo covers his ears with
his hands.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Is that a pig?
MIKKI
(smiling brightly)
She needed a home, honey. A
temporary one, of course.
GIACOMO
A temporary ... pig? We live in the
suburbs!
MIKKI
Exactly. We need more space. We
could get a place with a little
land. We could use the travel fund?
GIACOMO
The travel fund? Rome? Florence?
GIACOMO (cont’d)
You want to rescue pigs! We can't
keep pigs here.
MIKKI
Then we'll have to find a place
where we can. We've got money
saved. All we need is property.
GIACOMO
That money is our savings. We've
been putting that away for years.
Remember, we had plans to travel,
see other countries?
Mikki wraps her arms around Giacomo and hugs.
MIKKI
I know that money is for our dream,
but for them, it’s their chance.
Maybe their only chance.
6
Giacomo sighs and hugs her back. His face shows his defeat.
GIACOMO
All right, all right. You had me at
“It’s their last chance.”
Mikki wraps her arms around Giacomo's neck and squeezes.
MIKKI
I know you'll love it. Not much is
as rewarding as rescuing animals.
Giacomo shakes his head as he opens a bottle of wine.
GIACOMO
Goodbye Rome, and Naples, and
Florence.
MIKKI
Oh, stop it. We can still travel,
just not as much as you'd like.
This will be our dream.
GIACOMO
It costs a lot of money to run a
sanctuary. Buying the property is
just the beginning. The animals
still have to be fed and cared for.
Fences need to be built, and all
that's not to mention the vet
bills.
Mikki laughs and places her teacup in the sink.
MIKKI
So you better get in shape because
I've already got a few places to
check out.
GIACOMO
I'll look, but I'm not committing
to anything.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Searching for Sanctuary
EXT. VAN - THIRTY MILES NORTH OF HOUSTON - DAY
Giacomo cranks the engine of the van, revs it up, and drives
away from the property. He smiles as he backs out of the
driveway.
GIACOMO
I'm still not sold on this
sanctuary dream, but damn I like
that place.
(MORE)
7
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Eighteen acres, a barn, and lots of
trees. It has everything we want,
not to mention it's the right
price.
Mikki pats his arm and lights a cigarette.
MIKKI
I liked it too, but you need to be
closer to the hospital — a lot
closer. Besides, it doesn't have a
pond. We both agreed whatever
property we bought had to have a
pond.
Giacomo grabs Mikki's cigarette and takes a drag.
GIACOMO
You need to think of an
alternative. I doubt we're gonna
find a place close to a hospital
that has a pond.
(a beat)
God's sake. We've been looking for
months and we haven't seen a damn
thing. Well, nothing we could
afford.
EXT. NORTH HOUSTON - DAY
MONTAGE: PROPERTY HUNTING
- Giacomo and Mikki look at a fenced-in property with a small
pond.
MIKKI
It doesn't have enough acreage.
- They circle the large pond of another property and walk
through the woods.
MIKKI (cont’d)
Looks nice, but it's too far from a
hospital.
- After touring another house, they both get in the van,
disappointed.
END OF MONTAGE
8
Genres:
["Drama","Romance","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
House Hunting Adventures
INT/EXT. VAN - DAY
Giacomo turns onto the feeder road of the freeway and gets in
the lane to enter. Mikki crumples up the empty bottle of
water she's been drinking.
MIKKI
Before you get on the freeway, stop
and get me a bottle of water. I'm
dying of thirst.
Giacomo changes lanes and pulls into the parking lot of a
corner store.
EXT. CORNER STORE - DAY
Giacomo parks the van and Mikki goes inside to get water. He
plays a game on his cell phone while he waits.
Mikki comes out carrying the bottle of water, but she's
holding a magazine as well.
When she gets closer, it's obvious the magazine is a Realtor
magazine for homes. She gets in the van, smiling.
INT/EXT. VAN - DAY
Giacomo smiles and looks at her, shaking his head.
GIACOMO
You're looking again, aren't you?
MIKKI
I picked up one of the local
Realtor magazines, just in case.
GIACOMO
We've already found a place.
Remember, the one with the eighteen
acres. We loved it, and I don't
think it's too far from a hospital.
Mikki shakes her head and laughs.
MIKKI
I disagree; besides, there's no
harm in looking. We haven't made an
offer yet.
Giacomo pulls back onto the road and heads toward his house.
He drives a few blocks when Mikki screeches.
9
MIKKI (cont’d)
Here's one that doesn't look bad —
two miles from The Woodlands, and
it has seven acres with a half-acre
pond.
GIACOMO
Seven acres isn't enough.
MIKKI
But it's got a pond! And it's only
two miles from The Woodlands.
(a beat)
And it's got a forty by sixty barn.
Giacomo makes a U–turn at the light.
GIACOMO
I guess we can look.
Giacomo checks the directions and then navigates his way
through an older subdivision and down a dead-end street to a
locked gate with a large private property sign attached.
A pickup truck moves slowly down the driveway. It stops and
the window goes down.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
A New Beginning
EXT. HOUSE - DAY
THE OWNER (40, cowboy hat, sunglasses, friendly) leans his
head out the window.
OWNER
Can I help you?
GIACOMO
We saw this property advertised,
and we're here to look at it. You
the owner?
The owner nods, turns the truck around, and signals Giacomo
and Mikki to follow him. The drive is a gravel road about
1,000 feet long.
A heavily wooded area sits to the south and to the north is
four acres of woods that opens up into a seven-acre piece
with a half-acre pond near the front side and trees scattered
throughout the rest.
Giacomo gets about halfway down the drive when Mikki hollers.
10
MIKKI
Oh, my God. Look at that! They look
just like ours.
Giacomo looks ahead. Two Australian shepherds run alongside
the owner's truck and follow it all the way down the drive.
The drive goes to the barn area, but it also curves around a
small island of grass and trees so people can turn around
easily.
Mikki leans to the side and kisses Giacomo's cheek.
MIKKI (cont’d)
Those dogs are a sign. This was
meant to be.
Giacomo doesn't appear convinced, but he and Mikki follow the
owner to the house, a cute little ranch with a full-length
front porch that overlooks the pond. And behind the house
sits a forty-by-sixty-foot barn.
When Giacomo and Mikki come out of the house, they wear
smiles.
Mikki nudges his arm as they walk toward the van.
MIKKI (cont’d)
What'd you think?
GIACOMO
I think it looks great. The best
part is the place is surrounded by
a hundred acres of woods.
The owner hurries to catch up to Giacomo and Mikki.
OWNER
Well, how'd you like it?
Giacomo turns his head in all directions. He gestures to the
large wooded area beside them.
GIACOMO
This looks like a lot more than
seven acres.
OWNER
It is, but I'm only selling part of
it. There are four more acres on
the north side of the drive and
another six on the south side. And
one hundred acres of woods sits on
the south side of the drive. Forty
more sit on the north side.
11
Giacomo looks as if he's thinking, then looks at Mikki, who
nods.
GIACOMO
If you sell the four acres on the
north side at a reasonable price,
we'll take it.
Mikki walks the property while Giacomo and the owner haggle
over price and discuss terms.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER
Giacomo and the owner shake hands and get into their separate
cars. Mikki sits in the passenger seat of the van, appearing
anxious.
Giacomo opens the door and gets behind the wheel.
MIKKI
Well?
GIACOMO
We've got a deal — and at the right
price. We'll make settlement next
month if all goes well.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
New Beginnings
EXT. NEW HOUSE - DAY
TWO MONTHS LATER
Giacomo and Mikki park in the driveway and let their three
dogs out of the van. The dogs take off, running toward the
pond.
Giacomo turns toward Mikki and kisses her cheek.
GIACOMO
I have a good feeling about this
place.
MIKKI
Even though it cost so much?
Giacomo smiles and gives a little chuckle.
GIACOMO
Yes, spoiled brat. Even though it
cost so much.
12
MONTAGE: BUILDING ADDITIONS
- Workers build an addition to the back of the house, an 18 x
30 room, with two doors.
- Workers build a two-story stand-alone building that houses
a one-car garage, an office, and an upstairs apartment.
- Workers build two rooms inside the barn as well as a
concrete walkway on the perimeter.
- Giacomo builds a stone sidewalk to the front porch.
END OF MONTAGE
Genres:
["Drama","Romance","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Bear's Toll
INT/EXT. VAN - DAY
Every day, Giacomo and Mikki drive to the house and build
fences while construction work goes on.
Giacomo drives down the street, and as he nears the property,
a large BLACK DOG (3 years old, 60 pounds, long hair) bolts
at the van from the side.
The dog jumps and snaps at Giacomo's arm, which is resting on
the door with the window down. Giacomo quickly pulls his arm
inside the van.
The dog chases them halfway down their long (1,000 feet)
drive, biting at the van's tires the whole way.
The dog stops as Giacomo nears the house, and walks slowly
back down the driveway. Giacomo turns to Mikki.
GIACOMO
That's a hell of a way to be
greeted. Someone needs to keep that
dog locked up.
MONTAGE: ROAD TO NEW HOUSE - DAY
- Giacomo drives down the street and the dog attacks the back
tires.
- Dog attacks the front tires and jumps on the passenger side
door.
- Dog races at the van from the right side and darts in front
of the van. Giacomo slams on the brakes to avoid hitting it.
END OF MONTAGE
13
Giacomo turns on the street to the new house. He drives
slowly and keeps his eyes open for the dog.
About halfway down, Mikki points to the center of the road.
MIKKI
Would you look at that?
Sitting on its haunches, in the middle of the street, is the
dog that's been chasing the van. Mikki unwraps a folded up
piece of aluminum paper and takes out two biscuits.
MIKKI (cont’d)
Give these to him. Maybe we have to
pay a toll to get through.
Giacomo stops ten feet in front of the dog and slowly gets
out of the van. He cautiously approaches the dog, holding his
hand extended and offering a biscuit.
The dog approaches Giacomo just as carefully, and gently
takes the biscuit from him, then he rushes to the side of the
street and eats it.
MINDY (40, Latina, hair in bun) walks out of a small ranch
house near the end of the street.
MINDY
I see you've met Bear.
Giacomo raises his eyebrows and looks at her, then the dog.
GIACOMO
You mean the dog? Is he yours?
She shakes her head.
MINDY
That's Bear, and he doesn't belong
to anybody. Two people have tried
keeping him, and he didn't last
long with either one. He lives in
the woods. And in case you haven't
noticed, he owns this street.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
I soon learned that Mindy was right
- Bear did own the street, and he
let everyone know it.
14
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
A New Beginning: Bear and Princess
EXT. ROAD TO NEW HOUSE (SANCTUARY) - DAY
Giacomo turns down the street to the house and has to
immediately slam on the brakes. Bear is in the middle
Giacomo turns down the street to the house and has to
immediately slam on the brakes. Bear is in the middle of the
street, staring at a large GREAT DANE. The Dane growls and
shows its teeth, but Bear stands his ground and shows his
teeth too.
MIKKI
You've got to stop this before one
of them gets hurt!
Giacomo opens the car door and gets out.
GIACOMO
I don't know how much good I'll be,
but I'll give it a try.
Giacomo starts to grab Bear but hesitates as the two dogs
start fighting.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Bear! Bear, stop.
Bear stops fighting and backs up a step or two, but he growls
as Giacomo holds his collar.
Giacomo puts Bear in the van and doesn't release him until he
gets to his house.
TWO DAYS LATER:
Giacomo drives slowly down the street, glancing from side to
side. As he nears the end, by his driveway, he slows to a
near stop.
GIACOMO
(worried)
I don't see Bear.
MIKKI
You mean that dog you cursed for
months?
Giacomo stops the van and gets out. No sooner than he does,
Bear approaches the van from the other side, and he has a
FEMALE DOG with him.
Giacomo gets down on his knees and calls Bear over.
15
Bear picks up his pace (a little), and his friend follows.
Giacomo hugs Bear and pets him.
GIACOMO
You damn fool. You had me worried.
LIZA (30, blonde, tall and thin, serious) comes out from the
house at the end of the street and walks to the van.
LIZA
You know anything about this other
dog? I found her on my porch a few
days ago, and she won't leave, but
she won't come inside either.
Giacomo shrugs, then he reaches over to pet the new dog.
She wags her tail, sits on her haunches, and looks side to
side.
GIACOMO
I don't know her, but if she's with
Bear, she'll be safe. What's her
name?
LIZA
We named her Princess. I don't know
if we'll keep her, but for now, we
will.
Giacomo stands and shakes hands.
GIACOMO
I'm Giacomo, and my wife, Mikki, is
in the van.
LIZA
You'll like it here. Nice and
quiet, but close to everything.
GIACOMO
That's what we need. And by the
way, if you decide you don't want
Princess, let me know.
Giacomo hands her a card with his phone number and points
toward his new house.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
We just bought the house and
property down the drive. We're
gonna make an animal sanctuary.
16
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Neighborhood Guardians
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo and Mikki continue to drive to the new house every
day and every day Bear and Princess greet them on the street.
The dogs no longer attack Giacomo's van, but they ferociously
attack all others.
Giacomo stops the van and waits while Princess goes after a
small car in front of them.
GIACOMO
I have no idea why Liza named that
dog Princess. She's anything but a
princess.
MONTAGE: GUARDING THE STREET
- Bear and Princess chase down and bite the wheels of
any vehicle on the street.
- Bear and Princess stand guard against other dogs,
and will not let them onto Giacomo's property.
- Bear and Princess stand in the middle of the street
and will not let a delivery truck pass.
END OF MONTAGE
EXT. SANCTUARY - TWO WEEKS LATER — DAY
Giacomo and Mikki move into the new house on Friday and bring
their three dogs with them along with a few pigs they have
rescued.
Bear and Princess aren't in the street when Giacomo drives
by, but soon after, Bear struts down the driveway, and his
strut lets everyone know what rank he holds in the
neighborhood.
Bear holds the lead position, but Princess isn't far behind.
MIKKI
What's he want?
GIACOMO
No doubt why he's here. He wants to
introduce himself to our dogs and
let them know the rules.
17
Mikki laughs.
MIKKI
Look how he walks. He doesn't need
to tell them who's boss, he's
reminding us who's boss. The dogs
already know.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
A Day at the Sanctuary
EXT. SANCTUARY - NEXT DAY
Giacomo takes his coffee outside and sits on the front porch.
He's admiring the view of the pond when he hears barking
coming from near the barn.
He walks out back and sees the dogs racing up the driveway
and barking frantically.
By the time Giacomo reaches them, there is a fierce fight —
Bear and Princess against his three dogs.
Giacomo tries grabbing one of his Australian shepherds, KELLY
(8, 65 pounds, dark brown fur) but the snapping teeth keep
him at bay.
When nothing is successful, Giacomo resorts to what he did
earlier with Bear and the Great Dane.
GIACOMO
Bear! Bear, enough.
Bear suddenly stops and steps back. Princess follows his lead
and moves back as well.
Giacomo then grabs his dogs' collars, and he and Mikki take
them back to the house. When Giacomo returns, Bear and
Princess are still in the driveway, looking as if nothing
happened.
Giacomo shoos them away.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Go on. Go home now.
Giacomo walks back to the house and goes inside.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
He finds Mikki making tea in the kitchen.
GIACOMO
Did you see that?
18
MIKKI
I didn't think you'd stop it.
Giacomo laughs and grinds the coffee beans.
GIACOMO
I didn't stop it; Bear did.
Giacomo finishes his coffee and then puts his dogs into a
section of fence that is complete so they can't get out.
While he's doing this, Bear and Princess come to visit, and
his dogs react accordingly, woofing non-stop at the fence.
Bear and Princess ignore them despite their incessant
barking.
MONTAGE: BEAR'S DAILY VISITS
- Bear meanders down the driveway and comes to the
front door.
- Bear visits the pigs near their barn on the side.
- Bear visits Giacomo's dogs at the fence.
- Bear goes for a dip in the pond and doesn't bother
shaking the water off.
END OF MONTAGE
Giacomo is building a stone wall and Bear strolls down the
drive, swims in the pond, and then lies on the ground next to
Giacomo.
GIACOMO
How's it going, Bear? Lazy day?
Bear raises his head, sniffs the air, then runs toward the
woods on the south side of the drive.
Giacomo sets his tools on the ground and chases after him.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Mikki! Something's up.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Bear the Protector
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo gets to the driveway just in time to see Bear chasing
a coyote into the woods. Giacomo WHISTLES several times, and
in response, Bear comes back.
19
Mikki walks up and stands alongside Giacomo.
MIKKI
Guess we better get this part
fenced in. We can't have coyotes
get in here.
EXT. SANCTUARY - FRONT - DAY
Giacomo hooks up the post-hole digger on the back end of the
tractor, then he and Mikki dig the holes.
Giacomo is setting 4x4s as posts for the fence when he hears
Mikki yell.
MIKKI
Watch out!
Giacomo looks up and sees a coyote racing toward him from the
woods and Bear is right on its heels.
He chases the coyote across the field to the south and then
across the sanctuary property, across the west end of the
pond, and into the woods on the other side.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER:
Giacomo hears a WOOF, and when he looks, Bear is strutting
from the woods. He jumps into the pond, takes a quick swim,
then emerges and lies next to Giacomo.
There is a look on Bear's face, almost a smile, as if to say
“he'd done his job.”
Mikki comes out of the house carrying a sandwich and a bottle
of water, which she hands to Giacomo.
GIACOMO
Did you see Bear? He just chased
that coyote all the way across the
property.
Mikki sits next to Giacomo.
MIKKI
I saw him all right. He's something
else.
(a beat)
And listen, I know you get upset
sometimes, but I feel better when
Bear is here.
20
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
New Neighbors and a Puppy
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo works in the barn, cutting wood for the fence when he
hears FLASH (6 years old, Australian shepherd, long black
fur) and KASSIE (6 years old, Australian shepherd, black fur
with white spots) woofing continually.
Giacomo walks out of the barn and looks down the drive. Bear
is strutting down the center of the lane — his way — but
Princess isn't with him; instead, he has a different
companion.
WHISKERS (<1 year old, coarse and wiry, brown hair) follows
Bear closely. Bear greets Giacomo, brushing against his legs,
then he steps aside as if to allow Giacomo to fuss over the
new pup.
After a few seconds, Bear walks to the side porch and
Whiskers follows.
Mikki greets them with a bowl of water for the dogs and a
bottle of water for Giacomo.
MIKKI
Is that the new neighbor's dog?
Giacomo looks over to her.
GIACOMO
I don't know anything about new
neighbors or their dogs.
Mikki sips her water and nods.
MIKKI
They moved in next to Mindy.
They've got three kids and the pup.
I think her name's Whiskers.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Playful Bonds and Financial Worries
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
While Mikki talks, Bear and Whiskers walk toward the pond.
Bear shows her how to jump from the dock into the water, then
they swim to the other side where Bear helps her climb the
steep bank onto dry ground.
At one point, he reaches down and grabs hold of her by the
scruff of the neck and yanks her up.
He then leads her into the woods and comes out the other side
chasing a deer. When it's clear the deer is far ahead of
them, Bear shifts to chasing down a squirrel while Whiskers
goes after a rabbit.
21
Giacomo sits on the front porch, smoking a pipe and wearing a
somber expression.
MIKKI
What's the matter, babe? You look
worried.
GIACOMO
I wasn't planning on spending so
much to get the place going.
Mikki leans her head on his shoulder.
MIKKI
You love working; besides, you
already admitted the animals help
your patience and temper.
She gestures down the driveway to Bear and Whiskers, Bear
with his normal strut, and Whiskers trailing behind him.
MIKKI (cont’d)
And here come Dr. Bear and Dr.
Whiskers. Just in time to calm you
down.
Mikki sips tea from her mug and taps Giacomo on the arm.
MIKKI (cont’d)
By the way, I spoke with Liza, and
you won't believe what she told me
— Princess is pregnant. She's due
in six to eight weeks.
Giacomo laughs and wags his finger at Mikki.
GIACOMO
Don't even think about taking one
of those puppies. We've already got
more animals than we can care for.
It's beginning to look like a zoo:
pigs, dogs, cats, and a horse.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Whiskers' New Adventure
EXT. VAN - DAY
Mikki drives to the grocery store to pick up the normal
supplies, and on the way, she meets one of the KIDS (13,
young girl, braces, big smile) who own Whiskers.
KID
Have you seen Whiskers?
Mikki shakes her head.
22
MIKKI
She's probably at our house with
Bear. They usually go swimming at
this time of day.
The young girl nods and goes into her house.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
Little did the family realize that
while they may have technically
owned Whiskers, she now belonged to
Bear, and over the next few weeks,
they came to recognize that.
(a beat)
Whiskers stopped going inside their
house, choosing to spend her nights
roaming the woods with Bear, and
she patrolled the neighborhood with
him all day, searching for prey or
stray dogs who foolishly wandered
into their territory.
(a beat)
Bear's routine with Princess seemed
to be at an end though. Six weeks
after Princess stopped going out,
she delivered eight adorable
puppies.
(a beat)
Mikki and I swore we wouldn't
take any of them, but when six
weeks passed and there was
still one left, we gave in. It
was a male, and we named him
Slick.
(a beat)
Princess became domesticated
after that and quit roaming the
woods at night. Bear wasn't
about to go out with a novice,
though, and he took it upon
himself to train the pup.
(a beat)
Those two were as much wild
dogs as anything I've seen. No
one fed them, they caught their
own food — rabbits, voles,
mice, and lots of squirrels.
And in late August we learned
they had expanded their diet.
23
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
Tension in the Driveway
EXT. SANCTUARY - GARAGE - DAY
JIMMY (Giacomo's son, 30s, chatty, animal lover, worrier) and
his wife, SAHRINA (30s, always smiling, great attitude) walk
down the driveway toward the house.
Giacomo asks Sahrina to help him move a treadmill into the
garage which they use as a makeshift gym.
Bear and Whiskers are alongside them all the way.
Just as they get the treadmill in place, a truck comes down
the driveway.
Giacomo's daughter-in-law SAHRINA helps him move a treadmill
into the garage, and Bear and Whiskers are right with them.
A truck pulls down the driveway and slows when it comes near.
Sahrina leans over and whispers.
SAHRINA
That's Animal Control.
Giacomo shoos Bear and Whiskers into the garage and closes
the door. He and Sahrina walk casually to see what Animal
Control wants.
The DRIVER (50, cowboy hat, chewing tobacco) rolls down the
window and leans his head out.
DRIVER
We're lookin' for two dogs that
raided a place about half a mile
from here and ran off with a couple
of chickens. The owner said one is
a black, long- haired dog, and the
other's a mangy-looking brown cur.
The driver casts glances from Sahrina to Giacomo.
DRIVER (cont’d)
You seen 'em?
Giacomo steps closer, and leans on the truck.
GIACOMO
You say they stole his chickens?
DRIVER
Right out of his backyard. And he
said it wasn't the first time.
Giacomo taps the side of the truck, as if to send them off.
24
GIACOMO
We'll keep an eye out for them.
(A beat)
We don't own chickens, but I won't
tolerate chicken thieves.
The guy gets out of his truck and cranes his neck.
DRIVER
You don't mind if I look around, do
you?
GIACOMO
Actually, yes, I do mind. I've got
work to do, and I'm waiting on an
important business call.
ANIMAL CONTROL
I can look around myself.
Giacomo holds his hand up to stop the man.
GIACOMO
No, you can't. I've got a lot of
dogs, and I wouldn't want any of
them to bite you.
The man shoots Giacomo a scathing look and then looks around
the property.
DRIVER
How many dogs you got?
GIACOMO
Just the ones you see.
DRIVER
That's one short of too many. There
are laws around here, and five
animals constitute too many.
GIACOMO
What's that supposed to mean?
DRIVER
It means when I come back here —
and I will come back — if I find
more than five animals, we'll shut
you down.
Giacomo leans on the truck's door and stares.
25
GIACOMO
You try to take any of my dogs, and
I'll make sure you regret it.
DRIVER
You threatening me?
Giacomo nods.
GIACOMO
I believe that constitutes a
threat, yes.
DRIVER
We'll be back. Count on it.
GIACOMO
I'm sure you saw the 'no
trespassing' sign at the entrance,
so be sure to make an appointment.
Driver puts the truck into gear and pulls away.
Giacomo watches them go, and then he goes to the garage where
Sahrina watches the dogs.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
This is bad. Somebody's going to
shoot those damn dogs.
Genres:
["Drama","Family","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Bear's Last Chance
EXT. VAN - DAY
Giacomo pulls into Liza's driveway. Princess is sitting on
the porch, and Liza comes out a few seconds later.
GIACOMO
Liza, we had a visit from Animal
Control yesterday; they were
looking for Bear and Whiskers.
LIZA
I hate to hear that, but if I'm
honest, we were about to call the
SPCA on Bear. He tried to bite the
UPS guy the other day.
Giacomo shifts weight from one leg to another and loses his
smile.
GIACOMO
Liza, I know Bear can be a problem,
but don't dare call the SPCA. We'll
make sure he doesn't bite anybody.
26
Giacomo walks toward his van and is about to open the door
when he sees Mindy working in her front yard. He makes his
way to where Mindy is planting flowers.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Mindy, I need to ask a favor. If
you see Animal Control around, let
me know. They've been after Bear.
Mindy continues planting but laughs.
MINDY
I'll definitely tell you. I've
gotten used to Bear being around
for protection.
(laughs)
Last week I was cleaning the house
and had the doors open to air it
out. I came down from vacuuming
upstairs and Bear and Whiskers were
sprawled out on my couch. It made
me feel good.
SANCTUARY - MAIN HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo goes home, pours himself a glass of wine, and sits at
the kitchen table with Mikki.
GIACOMO
I spoke to Liza today. She said
that they were going to call the
SPCA on Bear.
Mikki puts water in the tea kettle to heat.
MIKKI
And?
GIACOMO
I told them we'd make sure he
behaved. There's no way I'm letting
him go to the pound.
The teapot WHISTLES and Mikki pours the water.
MIKKI
Well, he can't stay here. Our dogs
hate him.
Giacomo takes a sip of wine and leans back.
27
GIACOMO
Babe, I've let you call the shots
on most things, but on this, I'm
adamant. That dog is not going to
the pound.
MIKKI
I don't know how you think it'll
work with our dogs.
GIACOMO
We'll see how it goes.
Giacomo looks at Mikki and wags his finger at her.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
If you hear anything — anything —
make sure to let me know.
(a beat)
Oh, I forgot to tell you. Animal
Control came by today, and they
said we're only allowed to have
five animals. If they find out
we've got more, they'll shut us
down.
MIKKI
What! We've already got a lot more
than five.
GIACOMO
I know, but I don't think they saw
the pigs. And I told them they
can't trespass here, so they'll
need a warrant.
HOURS LATER - CONTINUOUS
The phone RINGS around dinner time. Mikki answers and hands
the phone to Giacomo.
MIKKI
It's Liza.
Giacomo grabs the phone.
GIACOMO
Yeah, Liza. What's up?
LIZA
He's done it again; he tried biting
the Fed-Ex driver. We can't allow
him in our yard any longer.
28
GIACOMO
We'll get him tomorrow morning.
MIKKI
What was that about?
GIACOMO
Bear tried biting the Fed-Ex guy —
which is bull. If Bear wanted to
bite someone, he wouldn't try, he'd
do it.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
A Bond Beyond Separation
EXT. STREET - LIZA'S HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo has no place to put Bear, so he asks Jimmy and
Sahrina if they would babysit him.
JIMMY
Babysit?
GIACOMO
That's all it will amount to. Bear
is gone most of the time. He just
needs a place to call home. I'm
worried more about Whiskers. She
sleeps under that little bridge
over the ditch.
(A beat)
What's she gonna do?
JIMMY
I can tell you what she's not gonna
do — stay here.
Giacomo drives to Liza's house, parks in the street, rolls
down the window and whistles. Bear runs to the van and jumps
in the side door.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
Bear went to live with Jimmy, but
Whiskers stayed under her bridge.
She was like the troll of the
neighborhood. I tried to take her
with me several times, but she
wanted nothing to do with it.
(A beat)
I've come to believe that dogs —
probably all animals — know a lot
more about us than we know about
them. Bear immediately exhibited an
understanding of his transition; he
somehow knew that he was no longer
welcome at Princess' house.
(MORE)
29
GIACOMO (V.O.) (cont'd)
But Bear and Whiskers didn't let it
interfere with their nightly
routine. Bear stopped and picked up
Whiskers every night, then they'd
go off into the woods and didn't
come back until morning.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
A New Bond: Bear and Whiskers Unite
INT/EXT. STREET - JIMMY'S HOUSE - DAY
Bear lives at Jimmy's house, which means Jimmy's kids fall
under his protection.
MONTAGE: BEAR'S PROTECTION
- Bear plays in the front yard with Jimmy's kids. JOEY (7,
outgoing, all smiles, playful, stutters) and DANTE (6,
introvert, thoughtful, trusting).
- Bear and Whiskers walk from Jimmy's house on the main
street to the sanctuary, one dog on each side of the kids.
- Bear and Whiskers sit on the edge of the grass while the
kids play ball.
- When the kids go inside, Bear follows. He sleeps on the end
table, the coffee table, the sofa table, and the hockey
table.
- Bear lets the kids do anything: put glasses on him, a
cowboy hat, bunny ears. Even antlers, and he acts as if he's
having a good time.
END OF MONTAGE
EXT. STREET - LIZA'S HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo drives down the street and sees a moving van in front
of Whiskers' house. Jimmy is in his front yard, so Giacomo
stops to chat.
GIACOMO
What's up? They moving?
JIMMY
And it looks like they're leaving
Whiskers.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
It soon became obvious to the
neighborhood that Whiskers was
Bear's new sidekick.
(MORE)
30
GIACOMO (V.O.) (cont'd)
She belonged with Bear, and
everyone knew it. Now that her
owners were gone, Whiskers and Bear
became inseparable.
(a beat)
Six months passed, and the Bear-
and-Whiskers team showed no signs
of letting up. They were a perfect
team for hunting and fighting.
Whiskers was the decoy when it came
to fighting, and she drew attention
by using feints and charges.
(a beat)
Bear did the heavy work, taking on
all comers, no matter their size or
species. They fought invading dogs
from other parts of the
neighborhood, they fought coyotes,
and they even fended off wild
boars, though they were smart
enough to stop short of engaging
them.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
Teamwork in the Yard
INT/EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo stares out his office window, which overlooks the
pond.
Bear and Whiskers jump over the fence and scout the area,
especially the trees scattered along the fence enclosing the
front yard. They walk from tree to tree, looking up.
As they pass a large white oak by the fence, Whiskers sounds
an alert.
WHISKERS
Woof-woof. Woof-woof.
Bear races back and looks up. A small squirrel runs along the
branches, and every few seconds, it looks down at Bear and
Whiskers, then CHITTERS.
Bear makes a big fuss, running around the tree trunk and
barking at the squirrel, meanwhile, Whiskers skulks off to
the side and sits next to the trunk of another tree. Her
light and dark brown colors blend in very well.
Bear continues barking for a few seconds, then he makes a big
show of walking off as if he's given up.
While he does this, Whiskers sits in the high grass,
camouflaged, almost invisible.
31
Whiskers sits as still as a rock, but when the squirrel
finally comes down the tree, Whiskers jumps up, races over,
and snatches the squirrel before it reaches the ground.
Bear calmly walks over and takes the squirrel from Whiskers.
He eats what he wants, and leaves the rest for her.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
It was amazing to observe them work
— the communication between them
was phenomenal. They talked to each
other, knew what was expected of
each other. And they delivered.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
The Great Dog Hunt
EXT. SANCTUARY
Giacomo drives the tractor, filling in potholes in the drive,
and Bear keeps him company. Suddenly, Whiskers runs out of
the woods and up to Bear.
WHISKERS
Woof-woof. Woof-woof.
She runs back into the woods the way she came, and Bear takes
off down the drive at a ninety-degree angle from her. He runs
about fifty yards, then stops and waits in a small grove of
trees. Seconds later, a small deer runs out, Whiskers hot on
its tail.
Bear bolts to the left in an attempt to cut it off, but the
deer does a quick turn and leaps over the fence. It runs
across the property and into the woods on the other side.
The deer has a big lead, but Bear and Whiskers still give
chase, following the deer into the woods.
Giacomo gets off the tractor and heads to the woods after
them.
Giacomo is nearing the woods when he hears the rustling of
leaves and snapping of branches.
Seconds later, Bear and Whiskers exit the woods — running
fast. Giacomo hears more rustling and looks up to see a large
buck chasing them, its head held low and its antlers pointed
downward. It stops when it gets to the clearing.
Bear glances behind him and then goes to the pond to take a
dip.
32
INT. SANCTUARY - KITCHEN - DAY
Giacomo sits at the table, glances down at Whiskers' dog bowl
— still full — and shakes his head.
GIACOMO
Look at that. She hasn't touched
her food. And Jimmy said Bear isn't
eating either.
Mikki shrugs as she peels corn for dinner.
MIKKI
I guess they're catching enough at
night to sustain themselves.
Besides, I don't know why you
worry. If they're hungry, they'll
eat.
Giacomo uses a drill and three-inch screws to fasten the
fence boards to the posts. While securing one of the last
ones, Whiskers comes into the front, runs by Giacomo, and
sits and waits near the driveway.
She sits on her haunches and emits one of her unique
BARK/HOWL sounds. Giacomo looks over and sees Bear strut down
the driveway. He and Whiskers rub noses, then he jumps the
fence, and he and Whiskers “talk.”
WHISKERS
Woof. Woof-woof.
She cocks her head to the side and gestures towardthe north
end of the property. Bear runs off in a westerly direction
and lies low in the tall grass.
She runs behind the house and returns with two of the other
dogs: BISCOTTI (3, Blue Lacy, short hair, 55 lbs., scrappy)
and Flash.
Whiskers leads them to a small wooded area and within
seconds, they scare up three rabbits which they herd toward
Bear.
Bear catches one of the rabbits, and when the other two turn
around, Biscotti gets one. The third one gets away.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
A Dog's Delivery
INT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Mikki is watching TV when the phone rings.
33
JIMMY
Mom, I hate to bother you, but do
you have any prednisone? Luigi got
bit by a snake.
MIKKI
I do, but I don't have a car. Dad's
got it.
(pause)
But I can send it down with Bear;
he's here visiting Whiskers.
JIMMY
Mom, you can't do that.
MIKKI
Who's better to entrust it to?
Nobody's gonna take it from him
unless they shoot him. I'll tie it
to his collar.
JIMMY
(sighing)
Let me know when he leaves.
Mikki stuffs the prednisone into an envelope and secures it
to Bear's collar, and then she lets him out the side door.
MIKKI
Go home, boy. Give this to Jimmy.
Jimmy calls minutes later.
JIMMY
He got here, Mom. Thanks.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Bear's Nightly Visits
EXT. JIMMY'S HOUSE - WEEKS LATER — NIGHT
A YOUNG LADY (30s, trim, friendly) buys the house next to
Jimmy. Weeks after moving in, she knocks on Jimmy's door.
YOUNG LADY
You own the black dog?
Jimmy gulps and prepares for anything.
JIMMY
Bear lives here, yeah. Why? Did he
cause trouble?
The lady seems hesitant. She pauses, then says:
34
YOUNG LADY
I don't know how to ask this, but
do you feed him?
Jimmy furrows his brow.
JIMMY
Of course, we feed him, Why?
The young lady shifts her weight.
YOUNG LADY
He comes by my house every night
around eleven?
Jimmy steps out on the porch.
JIMMY
I didn't know. I'll make sure he
doesn't do it again.
The lady laughs.
YOUNG LADY
I'm not complaining. Every night
around eleven, he comes knocking on
my door.
She laughs and shakes her said.
YOUNG LADY (cont’d)
I mean he actually knocks. The
first time I heard it, I thought it
was a person; now I recognize his
special scratch.
Jimmy looks puzzled.
YOUNG LADY (cont’d)
The first time he just stood there.
I was eating a hot dog at the time,
so I broke off a piece and gave it
to him. He's been back every night
since.
She laughs harder.
YOUNG LADY (cont’d)
Now, when I answer the door, he
just walks in as if he's been
invited.
(MORE)
35
YOUNG LADY (cont’d)
Sometimes he goes right to the
kitchen and sits in front of the
refrigerator, and sometimes he goes
to the family room and gets on the
couch as if I invited him to watch
TV.
JIMMY
God, I'm sorry. I'll —
She waves her hand.
YOUNG LADY
No, no. Nothing to be sorry about.
It's kinda nice. He makes me feel
safe. I just wanted to make sure he
wasn't starving, although he didn't
look like it.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
A Call for Help
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Jimmy stops by and chats with Giacomo about his visit from
his neighbor.
JIMMY
Turns out he's not just visiting my
neighbor. He gets biscuits from Old
Joe, table scraps from Mindy, and
cookies from Shane.
(a beat)
And the neighbors say Bear's
routine is the same: he scratches
the front door, and then either
gets his treat there or goes inside
for a visit. When he's done, he
leaves.
LATER
Giacomo drives toward Home Depot to get supplies. He stops on
the street to say 'hi' to Whiskers, but she's under her
bridge and won't come out.
He stops again on his way home, and once more later that
night. He gets out of the van and calls, but she still
doesn't come out. When he reaches to get her, she pulls back.
Giacomo calls Jimmy to help, and when he arrives, they manage
to get her onto the street, but she falls down immediately.
Giacomo calls his wife on the cell.
36
GIACOMO
Mikki, something's wrong with
Whiskers. She can't move her back
legs.
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - DAY
Giacomo takes her to the VET (50s, all business) and after a
quick examination, the vet keeps her for observation.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Seeking Answers
EXT. SANCTUARY — DAY
Mikki goes door-to-door and knocks on neighbors' doors.
MIKKI
Did you see anything happen to
Whiskers? Her back is hurt.
After speaking to several people, one of them says he says he
saw her hit a few days ago.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE — DAY
Giacomo is drinking coffee when Mikki walks in.
MIKKI
Mr. Marcus saw a utility truck hit
Whiskers when it backed up, but it
just drove away.
GIACOMO
Find out who hit her. I'm gonna
make sure that SOB gets fired.
INT. SANCTUARY - NEXT DAY
When the vet calls, Giacomo puts it on speakerphone so Mikki
can hear what the he says.
VET (V.O.)
I know you don't want to hear this,
but she's not doing well. It's
something in her back, but I don't
know what yet. If it's a muscle, we
can fix it. If it's anything to do
with the spine, it's a different
scenario. We'll know more in a few
days.
37
GIACOMO
Call when you know anything.
Giacomo turns to Mikki and shrugs.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
You heard him; it's gonna take a
few days before we know anything.
While we're waiting to hear, I'm
going to fix the island. It's a
mess.
Mikki reaches to comfort Giacomo, but he shrugs it off.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
I don't want to talk about it.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
A Horse and a Hilarious Mishap
EXT. SANCTUARY — DAY
Giacomo works on the island, cleaning fallen branches and
leaves. STEVEN, one of the neighbors (20s, tall,
thin, chatty) walks down the driveway.
NEIGHBOR
I came to see about renting a place
for my horse.
GIACOMO
You need to talk to Mikki; she's
out front.
Mikki greets Steven at the side gate.
STEVEN
I'd like to rent a place for Cita.
He's a good boy and won't bother
you. And I'll keep everything
clean.
MIKKI
I don't know. We've got so many
animals as it is.
Bear sneaks up behind Steven, and when he gets behind him, he
lifts his leg and pees on him and then quickly walks away.
MIKKI (cont’d)
Oh, my God, I'm so sorry.
(beat)
Bear, that's bad!
Steven smiles and then laughs.
38
STEVEN
Don't worry. I've had worse.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
Balancing Love and Finances
INT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Mikki sits at the table going over bills. She stops for a
moment, puts her pencil down, and sighs.
MIKKI
We're in bad shape, babe. That vet
bill is a fortune, and we're not
even finished. Besides that, feed
and upkeep are costing us about
$3,000 a month. What are we going
to do?
GIACOMO
I don't know what we'll do, but
remember when we spent every last
penny we had for vacation, and then
Jimmy got hurt and had to go to the
hospital?
MIKKI
I know, but he's our son!
GIACOMO
I know he is, but we can't ignore
Whiskers either — or any of them.
Mikki sets down her pencil, gets up, and hugs Giacomo.
MIKKI
You're turning into a real animal
lover, aren't you?
Giacomo scowls and shakes his head.
GIACOMO
If we don't watch out, we'll be
bankrupt animal lovers.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
A Difficult Decision
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - THREE DAYS LATER — DAY
Giacomo answers the phone; it's a call from the vet.
VET
This is Dr. Morrison. It's
definitely not muscular. The X-
rays show it's a lower back
problem, probably with a disc.
(MORE)
39
VET (cont’d)
If you want to try and fix it, it's
going to be expensive, and there's
no guarantee.
GIACOMO
And if we just bring her home?
VET
She can't walk. Chances are, she'll
waste away within a month, two at
best.
GIACOMO
All right. Keep her comfortable,
and we'll pick her up in a little
bit. But I'll need some anti-
inflammatory pills.
Giacomo disconnects the line and looks at Mikki.
MIKKI
What are we going to do? We can't
afford this.
Giacomo picks up his keys and heads to the back door.
GIACOMO
Let's take a look at her before we
decide anything.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
A Heartfelt Decision
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - DAY
Giacomo takes one look into Whiskers' eyes and turns to
Mikki. He has tears in his own eyes.
GIACOMO
We're not leaving her here to die.
She deserves better.
The vet walks in and shakes his head.
VET
I'm sorry about this.
GIACOMO
Nothing to be sorry about yet. I'd
like you to keep her for a couple
more weeks and see if she improves.
But I'll have to pay you over a few
months.
40
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - TWO WEEKS LATER — DAY
Giacomo and Mikki discuss Whiskers' condition.
GIACOMO
Any improvement?
The vet shakes his head.
VET
Every time she tries to walk, her
back legs collapse.
MIKKI
Just give us some pills, and we'll
take her home.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
A Journey to Recovery
EXT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - DAY
Giacomo and Mikki load Whiskers into the van and drive off.
Mikki sits in the back with her.
GIACOMO
We can't take her to our house; our
dogs hate her. We'll ask Jimmy if
he'll watch her.
INT/EXT. JIMMY'S HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo drops Whiskers off at Jimmy's house and then he and
Mikki go home.
Jimmy and Sahrina nurse Whiskers, day and night.
Sahrina takes her bowls of food and water and helps her eat
and drink. She brushes Whiskers' hair and covers her with
blankets.
Jimmy takes her out for walks while holding up her back end
with a towel so she can do her business.
INT. LIVING ROOM - THREE WEEKS LATER — DAY
A WHIMPERING at the door brings Jimmy to the living room, and
when he looks over, Whiskers is standing on her own and
scratching at the door.
He opens the door and she limps out to the street and heads
toward the sanctuary. Jimmy calls Giacomo.
41
JIMMY
It looks like Whiskers is headed
your way.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
Headed my way? You mean she's okay?
JIMMY
I don't know about 'okay,' but
she's limping down the street.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
Whiskers' Visit
EXT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo watches the driveway until he sees her. She stops
every forty or fifty feet and sits to rest before continuing
at the same slow pace.
As Whiskers gets closer, Giacomo bends down and greets her
excitedly, but she passes by without stopping and heads
toward the house.
Giacomo gets to his feet, rushes to the back door, and opens
it, but Whiskers doesn't go in. She finds a dug-out spot near
the garden, digs it a little deeper, and then lies down and
naps.
Giacomo tries luring her inside with treats, but she wants
nothing to do with it. She seems content as is.
The other dogs bark and howl continually, but Whiskers pays
them no mind.
MIKKI
WHat's all the ruckus about?
Giacomo points to where Whiskers rests.
MIKKI (cont’d)
What's she doing here?
GIACOMO
I guess she came for a visit.
EXT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - NIGHT
Mikki sits on the side porch enjoying a cup of tea, and
Giacomo joins her with a glass of wine.
Whiskers digs up a newly planted bush by the water fountain
and makes the hole deeper until it suits her needs, then she
lies down to sleep.
42
MIKKI
I guess she's here to stay.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
A Race Against Time
EXT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - ONE WEEK LATER — DAY
Giacomo and Mikki work on finishing the fence when Jimmy
drives down. He gets out of the car, comes to the fence, and
gestures toward Whiskers.
JIMMY
She must be feeling better.
Giacomo nods.
GIACOMO
She definitely feels better, but
the real test will be tomorrow. I'm
letting her in with the other dogs.
Giacomo works in his office but soon hears the sound of dogs
BARKING. He looks out the window and sees four of his dogs
chasing something, and he hears loud SQUEALS.
Giacomo races outside, hops the fence, and runs toward the
dogs, yelling all the way.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Stop! Kassie, Biscotti, stop!
The dogs continue to attack the animal they are chasing and
when Giacomo gets closer, he sees it is a baby boar.
The dogs stop when Giacomo gets within ten or twenty feet,
and Giacomo scoops up the baby and holds it. It continues
squealing and struggles to get away.
Giacomo runs to the house and calls Mikki.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Mikki! Get out here. The dogs got
this little wild pig, and it's
bleeding.
Mikki grabs several towels and rushes outside.
MIKKI
Get in the car. We'll take it to
Dr. Umlang.
43
EXT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - FOUR HOURS LATER — DAY
Giacomo parks the van, then he and Mikki get out. He rounds
up materials to build a temporary pen for the boar while
Mikki holds it.
Giacomo moves his dogs from the one-acre pen out back to the
seven acres up front, which are now fenced in.
He then puts the wild boar, DENNIS (few months old, striped
colors, wild boar) into the one-acre pen and doubles up the
hog panel to ensure he can't escape.
Genres:
["Drama","Family","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
Whiskers' Great Escape
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo finishes drinking coffee, then he gets up and lets
Whiskers out the front door where the other dogs have the run
of seven acres.
Whiskers walks slowly down the fence line, sniffing all the
way. She seems to be searching for a way out.
She digs in several places where the ground is soft, then
tries climbing the fence, but she can't get over.
Giacomo drinks his coffee, pours another cup, and sits on the
porch. He sits in a rocker and looks out over the property.
Most of the dogs are running around, but some are swimming in
the pond. He doesn't see Whiskers.
He stands and looks, but when he still doesn't see her, he
walks to the pond.
Giacomo hears a HORN BEEP and looks to the driveway where a
UPS truck has stopped — Whiskers is lying in the middle of
the drive again, and refuses to move.
Giacomo drags her into the house, where she moves to the
sitting room and gets on the sofa.
NEXT MORNING — CONTINUOUS
Giacomo works in his office, but he continually looks out
front to see how Whiskers is escaping. He watches her walk
the west-side fence and then slowly move down the south side.
About halfway down, Whiskers stops and looks around in all
directions, then she sneaks toward a drainage ditch that
carries the overflow from the pond under the driveway to the
land on the other side. The pipe is forty feet long and two
feet in diameter.
44
She crawls into the pipe and, within a moment, crawls out the
other side. Water drips from her fur, and she's dirtier than
normal, but otherwise, she's fine.
Giacomo gets wood slats and fencing to cover the hole, then
he secures the escape route.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
Whiskers' Great Escape
EXT. SANCTUARY - TWO DAYS LATER — DAY
Giacomo is working when a UPS DRIVER (40, black) knocks on
the office door.
DRIVER
Your dog's out again, and she won't
get out of the driveway.
Giacomo ushers Whiskers into the house again and sets out to
find out how she's escaping.
The escape route doesn't take long to find — a tree has
fallen and is leaning against the fence.
Whiskers uses the tree to climb over the fence and get out.
Giacomo cuts the tree with a chainsaw, fixes the damaged
fence, then goes inside to eat dinner.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - NIGHT
Giacomo sits at the table and talks to Mikki while she
prepares dinner.
GIACOMO
We've got her contained now. I
fixed the fence and walked the
property afterward. I can't see how
she'd get out.
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Whiskers starts an all-out excavation campaign. She digs a
hole so deep that she tunnels under the fence and crawls out
in a feat that a contortionist would envy.
Giacomo watches her and shakes his head.
GIACOMO
I'm through trying.
Whiskers surprises Giacomo by remaining at the sanctuary,
though she stays outside, and Biscotti opts to stay with her.
45
INT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo is drinking coffee when the phone rings. Male Voice
Mr. Giammatteo, this is UPS. Your dog tried to bite one of
our drivers. It was a black dog with a few white markings.
GIACOMO
I know the dog you mean. He growls,
and he might show his teeth, but he
doesn't bite.
(a beat)
I'll keep an eye on him though. It
shouldn't happen again. MalE VOICE
(long pause)
All right, but if it does, we're
filing charges, and we won't
deliver packages anymore.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
Bear's Bold Truck Jump
EXT. SANCTUARY - LATER — DAY
The UPS truck moves slowly through the gate, and picks up
speed as it navigates the drive. Halfway down the drive, Bear
runs out of the woods and jumps into the front of the truck
where CHESTER (40, black, smile on his face) sits.
Chester brakes and inches toward the door. Bear stares and
bares his teeth while emitting a fierce growl. The driver
stops the truck and makes a quick exit onto the drive, and
then he closes the door.
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY - CONTINUOUS
Giacomo sees Bear jump into the truck, and runs out of the
house and up the driveway toward the truck.
GIACOMO
Bear! Get the hell out of there.
That's bad.
Bear stares at Giacomo, and then he gets out of the truck and
walks down the driveway. Giacomo bends down and calls Bear to
the side of the road.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Bear, what the hell is wrong with
you? You can't do that.
Giacomo points toward the house.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Go home.
Giacomo approaches the driver and extends his hand.
46
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Sorry about Bear. I'll make sure it
doesn't happen again, but can you
keep this quiet?
The driver lowers his head and shakes it.
DRIVER
I don't know, man. That dog's a
lunatic. I've been driving this
route for fifteen years, and I've
never had a dog jump in my truck.
Never! Besides, you got that other
crazy dog here too, the wiry one.
GIACOMO
If you mean Whiskers, she's nothing
to worry about. The worst she'll do
is refuse to move out of the way.
She'd never bite anyone.
DRIVER
I don't know, sir. I don't like
turning dogs in, but him ...
Giacomo's face lights up and he snaps his fingers.
GIACOMO
Here's what you need to do.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
A Biscuit and a Standoff
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
A UPS truck pulls down the drive and, as usual, Bear runs to
meet it. Before Bear reaches the truck, the driver stops and
gets out.
Chester bends down and holds out a biscuit for Bear, who
eagerly accepts it and leaves. Bear then walks over to where
Whiskers lies under a small grove of trees, sits down, and
shares his treat with her.
The driver delivers a package to Giacomo, and he hands him a
bag filled with dog biscuits.
GIACOMO
You won't have any more trouble
from Bear. He loves biscuits.
EXT. SANCTUARY - TWO DAYS LATER — DAY
The Animal Control car goes through the gate and down the
driveway.
47
The driver is the same one who came looking for Bear and
Whiskers when they got the farmer's chickens. He parks by the
circular island and TWO MEN get out.
DRIVER
I told you I'd be back.
Giacomo gets close to Driver.
GIACOMO
Do you have a warrant?
DRIVER
I don't have a warrant, but —
GIACOMO
Then I'll see you later.
DRIVER
You haven't heard me out.
GIACOMO
Bye.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
A Family's Shield
INT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Jimmy, Sahrina, and his two kids, Dante and Joey, come sit
around the kitchen table. Giacomo bends down and hugs them.
GIACOMO
How's school going? You getting
smart yet?
Dante shrugs and Joey laughs.
JOEY
We're already smart, P-P- PopPop.
Giacomo laughs and tousles their hair, and then leans down
and kisses their cheeks.
GIACOMO
I know you're smart, and school
will make you smarter.
Dante takes a bottle of water from the fridge and stands at
the kitchen island.
DANTE
Joey doesn't like school because
the older kids give us trouble.
Giacomo turns his head quickly.
48
GIACOMO
What? Who?
DANTE
Some older kids. They wait for us
to get near the school, and they
tease Joey about his stuttering.
Giacomo clenches his fist.
GIACOMO
I'm going down there tomorrow.
Joey panics.
JOEY
No, P-P-PopPop. It's all right.
DANTE
It will just make things worse,
PopPop.
GIACOMO
All right. How about this? Let Bear
and Whiskers walk you to school. No
one will bother them with Bear by
their side.
JIMMY
Are you crazy? Bear just tried to
bite the UPS guy. I don't want the
kids dead.
Giacomo pours a glass of wine.
GIACOMO
We could send Brie with them.
JIMMY
Brie wouldn't hurt a fly.
GIACOMO
And that's why we send her. She's
so big that she'll scare the heck
out of them, but she'd never hurt
anyone.
(a beat)
Jimmy, you follow in the car but
stay about a block away.
JOEY
Yeah, let Brie come.
49
Genres:
["Family Drama","Slice of Life"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
A Day of Dogs and Dilemmas
EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY
Joey and Dante leave their house and walk to school.
BRIELLA (Great Dane, 6, 190 pounds, brindle coloring) joins
Bear and Whiskers as they walk with the boys.
A few blocks from the school, three OLDER KIDS approach, but
when they see Briella and Bear they slowly back up and then
rush into school.
After the older kids leave, Joey and Dante are relieved. Joey
hugs Bear and gives all the dogs kisses.
Just then, a UPS truck rounds the corner. Bear tenses up and
looks about to charge it when Joey grabs his collar.
JOEY
B-Bear, you st-st-stay. C'mon, be a
good boy.
Bear looks at Joey and relaxes, and he stays by his side.
Joey smiles and looks at Dante.
JOEY (cont’d)
It worked, D. It worked.
INT. SANCTUARY — DAY
Giacomo eats lunch when a YOUNG MAN (late 20s, tall, thin)
knocks on the door. He hands Giacomo a document.
YOUNG MAN
This is a notification to appear at
the district hearing for violation
of zoning restrictions.
GIACOMO
Zoning restrictions for what?
YOUNG MAN
According to the district
commissioner, a person may have up
to five animals. According to our
records, you have far exceeded the
limit.
(a beat)
If you want to protest this, be at
the general meeting on Friday to
present your case.
50
GIACOMO
Who complained?
YOUNG MAN
Animal Control.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - NIGHT
Giacomo sits eating a plate of ravioli when the phone rings.
It's Jimmy.
JIMMY (V.O.)
Got bad weather moving in. You
better keep Whiskers inside.
Giacomo brings Whiskers inside and puts her in the sitting
room where she likes to stay. He answers the phone when it
rings.
JIMMY (V.O.)
I hope you got Whiskers in cause I
didn't fare so well with Bear. He
acted like he had to pee, and
tricked me into letting him out.
I'm sure he's on his way down
there.
Giacomo puts on his raincoat and goes out back to see if he
can spot Bear. He shines the flashlight up the driveway and
isn't surprised to see Bear prancing toward the sanctuary.
Giacomo bends down and calls Bear to him, but Bear veers away
and heads toward the house. Giacomo follows, but by the time
he catches up, Bear is scratching at the back door. Before
Giacomo gets to him, Bear bolts up the driveway and into the
woods.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
Bear's Ordeal
EXT. JIMMY'S HOUSE - DAY
Sahrina goes outside to check for Bear. He's not there, but
the porch is covered in blood. Sahrina follows the trail of
blood down the sidewalk and onto the driveway. The trail of
blood becomes a pool of blood underneath the car.
Sahrina leans down and sees Bear, his face and back covered
in blood. She reaches under the car and drags him out. Once
he is clear of the bumper, he stands and limps toward the
house.
Sahrina shudders. Bear is bleeding from his back, side, head,
stomach, and neck. And his face is mangled. His eye is a mass
of blood.
51
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - DAY
Jimmy and Sahrina rush him to the vet's office where they
take him in for emergency surgery. Jimmy and Sahrina pace the
office and continually look toward the door to the surgery
room.
DOCTOR HUTCHINS (50, nice demeanor, businesslike) enters the
lobby and sits alongside them.
DOCTOR HUTCHINS
He seems to have done okay. We got
him stitched up and heavily
medicated, and aside from a big
bill, he's ready to go home.
INT. JIMMY'S HOUSE - DAY
Sahrina puts Bear onto a thick dog bed in the corner and
covers him with a blanket. Jimmy places a bowl of water next
to Bear so he doesn't have to get up.
JIMMY
Well, Pops, we got him back, but he
sure is messed up. Eighty stitches!
And most of them were in his head
or face.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
He have any guesses as to what did
it?
JIMMY
He said he's pretty sure it was
raccoons, as in more than one.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
I'd like to think Bear learned his
lesson, but I doubt he did.
(a beat)
I couldn't swear to it, but it
seemed as if Bear and Whiskers had
no fear. They fought anything that
came near our property, and they
hunted anything they could eat.
(a beat)
They seldom ate at home, choosing
instead to live off the woods they
loved to roam. I had seen them
catch squirrels, rabbits, guinea
hens, chickens, and nutria — and
that was just on our front
property.
(MORE)
52
GIACOMO (V.O.) (cont'd)
God only knows what they got in the
woods at night. We often found them
with a bone or piece of meat that
was unrecognizable, though it was
much larger than their normal prey.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
A Glimmer of Hope
INT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Giacomo trudges in the side door of the house and goes to the
kitchen. Mikki pours a glass of wine and sets it down.
MIKKI
I can tell from your tone that
things didn't go well at the
meeting.
Giacomo takes a big sip from his glass.
GIACOMO
That's an understatement. They made
me look like an ass — which I don't
care about — but it looks bad for
the animals.
(a beat)
The bottom line is we've got three
months to persuade them that our
animals present an exception to the
five-animal rule.
Giacomo shakes his head slowly and looks at Mikki.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Got any ideas?
Mikki chews on her fingernails and stares at the wall.
MIKKI
Maybe.
EXT. VAN - DAY
Mikki goes to Office Depot and prints up hundreds of flyers.
MONTAGE: DISTRIBUTING FLYERS
- Mikki takes the flyers to schools.
- Mikki takes flyers to rehab centers.
- Mikki takes flyers to therapy centers and churches. End of
montage
53
She finishes distributing the flyers and heads home, where
she fixes hot tea and a bagel. When the phone rings, Caller
ID shows it to be someone named MACIE EVANS.
MACIE EVANS
This is Macie Evans, coordinator
for school activities at Oakridge
Elementary.
MIKKI
How may I help you?
MACIE EVANS
I just saw the flyer you left here,
and we are interested in booking
one of your animals for an event.
Giacomo walks into the kitchen, but Mikki puts her finger to
her lips, and then gives Giacomo the thumbs up signal.
MIKKI
What is the event? And what animal
did you have in mind.
Macie chuckles.
MACIE EVANS
It's a kiss the principal contest,
and we'd like to use one of your
pigs.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
Shinobi's Sweet Surprise
EXT/INT. OAKRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - NIGHT
Giacomo and Mikki park the van, get out and head toward the
school with SHINOBI (15, potbelly pig, black with white
markings) on a leash.
Shinobi shuffles along, her broad shoulders swaying left and
right. She turns the first corner, and faces a long hallway
filled with KIDS — loud, shouting kids. Kids Kids
Look at the pig! It's a pig. In school! One little girl leans
down to Shinobi and hands her popcorn. Another one gives her
cotton candy. Shinobi slows down and gratefully accepts all
food offered her.
The girl who gave her popcorn pets her nose and pulls her
hand back quickly. Kids
She has hair on her nose!
Macie Evans stands at the end of the hall, waving her hands.
54
MACIE EVANS
We're down here.
Giacomo leads Shinobi to the door where Macie stands.
MACIE EVANS (cont’d)
We're all set. The auditorium is
full and the principal is onstage.
Is there anything special we need
to do?
MIKKI
Yes, have him hold a peppermint in
his mouth, and make sure he's
blindfolded.
Macie checks to ensure all is ready, and then she opens the
door to the auditorium. Giacomo, Mikki, and Shinobi enter.
AUDITORIUM — CONTINUOUS
The auditorium is filled with kids, and they SCREAM loudly
when Shinobi enters. PRINCIPAL ROBERTS (40s, partially bald,
good natured) sits in a chair centered on the stage. He is
blindfolded and has earphones playing music.
The screaming grows louder when Mikki takes Shinobi onstage,
and louder still when Macie leads Principal Roberts to the
front and hands him a peppermint.
MACIE EVANS
All right, Principal Roberts, now
hold the peppermint in your mouth
and lean down.
Roberts leans down, and Shinobi makes a loud grunt, walks
over, and reaches up and takes the peppermint. When Roberts
feels the hair on her nose tickle him, he pulls away.
Macie reaches behind him and unties his blindfold. When
Principal Roberts sees the pig, he gasps, but then he laughs
very hard. By this time, the kids are laughing and screaming
at the top of their lungs.
Once the room settles down, Shinobi does a few tricks for the
kids, and then Mikki and Giacomo take her home. MiKKI
I don't know if that did any good, but it sure was fun. Did
you see how much those kids enjoyed it?
GIACOMO
I did. It makes you want to do this
every night.
55
MIKKI
I'm sure Shinobi wouldn't mind. She
loved getting all those treats.
Genres:
["Comedy","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
A Joyful Reunion
EXT. SANCTUARY - TWO WEEKS LATER — DAY
Jimmy takes Bear down to the sanctuary, and lets him out.
Bear immediately runs to the back door and signals for
Whiskers.
BEAR
Woof. Woof-woof. Woof-woof.
Whiskers runs to the door and Mikki lets her out. They jump
at each other and kiss and hug, then they run off into the
woods.
JIMMY
I hope they'll be all right.
GIACOMO
Now that Whiskers is with him, I'm
sure they will. She's the
strategist.
MIKKI
What do you mean by that?
GIACOMO
Remember when they got the guinea
hens? It was Whiskers who circled
behind them and drove them toward
Bear. And when they almost got the
deer? Whiskers drove it from the
woods. And Whiskers is the stealthy
one when it comes to rabbits and
squirrels. And most importantly,
it's Whiskers who always flanks
whatever it is they're fighting so
that Bear has a clear approach.
HOURS LATER
Whiskers and Bear return from their adventure and jaunt up to
the house.
Bear stops to say hello to Jimmy and Giacomo, but Whiskers
goes to the fence to greet five or six of the other dogs. She
pokes her nose through and “talks” to them.
WHISKERS
Woof ... woof ... woof. Woof, woof.
56
The other dogs excitedly respond with their own woofs.
GIACOMO
Look at that damn dog, Jimmy. She
talks to them. And they understand.
Genres:
["Drama","Comedy"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
A Moment of Distress
INT. SANCTUARY - TWO MONTHS LATER — DAY
Giacomo comes home from a business trip and finds Mikki
sitting at the table, crying. He steps behind her and rubs
her shoulders.
GIACOMO
What's the matter, babe?
Mikki uses a handkerchief to dry her eyes as she tries to
stop sobbing.
MIKKI
I tried everything I can think of,
and nothing has worked. I've been
to three schools, a rehab, and a
therapy unit in the hospital.
Everyone enjoyed the animals, but I
spoke to the zoning commission, and
it looks as if nothing has changed.
And we've only got a few weeks.
Giacomo kisses her head and massages her back more.
GIACOMO
I know you've worked hard, babe.
Something will come up.
MIKKI
I'm not worried about how hard I
worked. I'm concerned about the
animals. What will happen to them?
GIACOMO
Maybe we need to get them more
exposure.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
A Week of Growth
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo finishes his coffee, grabs his briefcase, and heads
for the door.
GIACOMO
Gotta go, babe. Be back in a week.
Remember to order feed.
(a beat)
(MORE)
57
GIACOMO (cont’d)
And don't forget to see about
getting the animals some exposure.
Mikki calls all the places she visited to see about getting
appointments.
MONTAGE: VISITS TO SCHOOLS, REHABS, AND HOSPITALS
- Mikki takes Bear and Whiskers to two elementary schools,
and they perform for the kids - catching frisbees and balls.
- Mikki takes Bear and Whiskers to a therapy center, where
they walk alongside the patients who need help walking.
- Mikki takes Bear to a drug rehab center, and the patients
play catch with him.
END OF MONTAGE
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
SUPER: ONE WEEK LATER
Giacomo walks in and sets his briefcase down.
GIACOMO
Mikki, you home?
Mikki rushes to see Giacomo and hugs him.
MIKKI
I got the dogs into four places:
two schools, a therapy center, and
a rehab. And they were so well-
behaved.
Giacomo hugs her and smiles.
GIACOMO
I knew you'd do it. I don't know if
it'll be enough to get approval,
but it should help.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
Guardians of the Sanctuary
EXT. SANCTUARY - THREE DAYS LATER — DAY
Whiskers accompanies Bear on his ventures into the woods, but
after she returns to the sanctuary, she lies down and guards
the property.
58
Whiskers rushes toward the house, barking her crazy hoot-owl
bark, and the dogs in the house go crazy.
She races outside but stops short of the woods on the other
side. Biscotti joins her.
When Giacomo arrives, she is in the middle of the road
barking at a spot where the trees are thickest.
As Giacomo draws close, he hears a ferocious growl from the
woods. He grabs the scruff of Whiskers' neck and gives a
light tug.
GIACOMO
Come on, girl. You don't want any
part of that. It's a wild boar.
Whiskers breaks free from Giacomo's grip and runs up the
drive. Jimmy calls soon after.
JIMMY (V.O.)
Whiskers just knocked on the door
and got Bear. He was going nuts, so
I let him out. I'm sure they're on
their way to your place.
GIACOMO
You're right, I see 'em coming.
Bear and Whiskers race down the drive toward Giacomo, but
they don't hold the line at the driveway. Bear rushes into
the woods on one side and Whiskers on the other.
Giacomo hears more grunts and growls from the boar, and then
it races off into the woods. Bear and Whiskers walk slowly
back to the drive and stand beside Giacomo.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
I was thrilled the boar left
without a fight, but I was more
impressed that Whiskers had the
sense to get Bear's help. That
displayed an intelligence I didn't
think dogs had.
(A beat)
Dogs are usually judged as being
smart, or not, smart based on a set
of standards designed by people.
(MORE)
59
GIACOMO (V.O.) (cont'd)
Look at any dog show or exhibition
of dog intelligence, and you'll see
demonstrations where dogs follow
human commands — sitting, lying
down, prancing, dancing, speaking,
counting — the list goes on
forever.
(a beat)
Whiskers never did any of this.
There wasn't a single command she
would obey. She wouldn't sit,
speak, heel, come, stay, or any
such nonsense. Whiskers did nothing
a normal dog would do. She didn't
even follow pack behavior. She
wouldn't eat, drink, or sleep with
the other dogs.
SUPER: LATER
Giacomo sits on the porch enjoying the morning sun and
watching the herons hunt for fish in the pond.
The sound of trees falling in the woods to the north,
startles him.
Mikki comes out and sits next to Giacomo.
MIKKI
In case you're wondering, a
developer bought that land and he's
building a new subdivision.
GIACOMO
I hate to hear that; it'll drive
all the wildlife away.
It isn't long before Whiskers feels the pressure of
overcrowding: coyotes encroach farther onto the property, and
they get bolder.
Bear struts down the drive, and Whiskers “shows” him the
droppings the coyotes leave on the driveway.
Bear circles the property and rejoins Whiskers.
That's where they make their stand.
SUPER: TWO DAYS LATER
Giacomo hears a scratching at the door, and when he opens it,
Whiskers is in a barking frenzy. She runs toward the driveway
as soon as Giacomo appears.
60
He calls Biscotti to join him and goes outside.
Whiskers' races to the driveway where Bear is fending off
three coyotes. Whiskers immediately joins the fray as does
Biscotti. In no time, the coyotes race off into the woods.
Bear and his cohorts chase them for a little while, but then
turn around and come home.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
The coyotes continued to move
closer, but Whiskers kept them at
bay and never let them past the
driveway. If Bear was with her, the
coyotes didn't even come close.
(a beat)
I tried bringing Whiskers inside
the house at night, but she wanted
nothing of it, preferring to stay
outside protecting against
intruders.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
A Night by the Pond
INT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Joey picks up the phone when Giacomo dials.
JOEY
Hey, P-PopPop. You want Dad?
GIACOMO
No, I called for you. MomMom's
birthday is coming up, and I
thought it would be nice to have a
big bonfire by the pond and roast
hot dogs and marshmallows.
JOEY
Yeah, P-P-PopPop. MomMom will love
it. Can Bear come too? He loves hot
dogs.
Giacomo laughs.
GIACOMO
Of course, he can come, buddy. And
you and Dante can bring friends if
you want. It'll be Friday night.
61
EXT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Giacomo takes a few folding chairs out to the pond and sets
them down by a small stack of dried wood. Jimmy's family
drives up and the kids run out back.
JOEY
We brought Bear, P-P-PopPop.
GIACOMO
That's good, because Whiskers is
here too. But before you get
comfortable, we're going to need
more wood, a lot more. We're going
to make a big bonfire.
JOEY
(excitedly)
C'mon, Dante. Let's get some
sticks.
GIACOMO
Take Bear with you.
Joey turns to Bear, grabs his collar, and tugs on it.
JOEY
Let's go, Bear. You can help us.
Jimmy sits down and scoots close to the pile of sticks.
JIMMY
Are they going to be all right by
themselves?
GIACOMO
Bear and Whiskers are with them.
They'll be fine.
Joey and Dante walk the edge of the property where storms
have blown branches and even trees down. Bear and Whiskers
stay with them.
Sahrina exits the house carrying hot dogs and marshmallows to
roast. Mikki carries rolls and drinks.
SAHRINA
They're going to have a ball. Joey
and Dante have talked about this
all week.
Joey and Dante head back to where the bonfire will be, and
they all carry sticks, even the dogs.
62
MIKKI
Would you look at that! Bear has
two sticks in his mouth.
They drop their sticks onto the pile and quickly head out for
more, Bear and Whiskers with them.
Giacomo and Jimmy rearrange the sticks so the fire burns
properly, and before they're finished, the boys return.
GIACOMO
That should be enough, guys. We've
got a lot of wood now.
Joey sits on the ground next to Jimmy, and Bear lies next to
him. Dante sits between Bear and Whiskers.
Giacomo stirs the fire, and soon it's fully burning. Giacomo
adjusts the length of the roasting forks and hands them to
Mikki, then she puts hot dogs on the end and gives them to
the boys.
JOEY
I'm cooking one for B-B-Bear.
DANTE
I'll do Whiskers.
After the boys eat the hot dogs, Mikki puts marshmallows on
the forks and hands them out.
The boys cook another hot dog for each of the dogs, then they
cook a few marshmallows for themselves.
After the boys eat two hot dogs each, Giacomo looks at the
time.
GIACOMO
All right, boys. It's getting late,
time to go inside.
Jimmy turns on the hose and sprays the fire with water until
it goes out. He then pokes it to make sure he gets all the
embers.
JOEY
PopPop, that was fun. Can we do it
again tomorrow night?
Giacomo laughs.
GIACOMO
I don't know about tomorrow, buddy,
but we'll do it again soon.
63
Genres:
["Family","Drama","Slice of Life"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
A Snake Bite and a Caring Heart
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Mikki is working in the garden when she notices Whiskers
limping slowly up the sidewalk.
MIKKI
Whiskers. What's up, girl?
Whiskers doesn't even look her way, just walks to the back
door and whimpers. Mikki looks closer and sees her face is
swollen. She has a lump the size of a golf ball, and it's
full of pus.
Mikki opens the door and lets Whiskers inside, and it's then
she notices the bite marks on her face. She calls Giacomo.
MIKKI (cont’d)
I think a snake bit Whiskers.
Giacomo comes inside, and he and Mikki try tending to her,
but she doesn't tolerate much tending. She moves away if you
brush her, and she doesn't take medicine.
Mikki puts her on a spare sofa and puts her head on a pillow
with a sheet underneath her. She loosens her collar so the
swelling doesn't make it too tight, then she turns to
Giacomo.
MIKKI (cont’d)
You better get the prednisone.
Mikki gives Whiskers the shot, and Giacomo goes outside and
looks for the snake. Not twenty feet from the fence, he finds
a copperhead. He calls Jimmy, who comes and catches the snake
and puts it in a bucket so he can relocate it.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE NIGHT
The bite on Whiskers' face swells from golf-ball size to
tennis-ball size, and it oozes blood and pus.
GIACOMO
If we can keep the swelling down
and get enough water in her, she'll
probably be all right. She'll have
a few tough days, but she'll be
okay.
Mikki cleans and tends to the wound.
64
Whiskers lies still and lets Mikki do whatever she wants. She
continues nursing Whiskers as if she were her child, and by
mid afternoon, Whiskers shows signs of improvement. By
midnight, the swelling is down a lot.
Every couple of hours, Mikki cleans the wound and forces a
little water into Whiskers.
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
The next morning, Whiskers goes outside to do her business
and refuses to come back inside.
Giacomo tries coaxing her inside but with no luck.
Whiskers makes her way to her normal spot in the middle of
the driveway and plops down in the dirt.
Giacomo looks at her and shakes his head.
GIACOMO
The hell with healing — Whiskers is
back on duty.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo is about to make coffee when the phone rings.
SAHRINA (V.O.)
Is Luigi down there?
GIACOMO
I haven't seen him, but I'll go
outside and look.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
Guiding Luigi Home
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo looks all around for LUIGI (6, Great Dane, fawn
colored, 195 pounds, not very intelligent), and he spots him
by the gate just standing and looking around. He has a lost
look in his eyes.
Giacomo walks up to him and pets his head.
GIACOMO
Luigi, you need to go home, boy.
Sahrina wants you.
Giacomo points down the drive.
65
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Down there, boy. Walk straight down
there. It's not far.
Luigi turns his head one way then another, but he stands
still and looks confused.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Whiskers! Take Luigi home. Come on,
girl.
Whiskers gets up from her spot under the tree and walks to
Luigi.
WHISKERS
Woof-woof. Woof. Woof-woof.
She then walks slowly down the driveway and Luigi follows.
Giacomo watches them walk away, then goes back to his office.
SAHRINA (V.O.)
Luigi made it home — thanks.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
Victory for Therapy Animals
EXT. ZONING HEARING - NIGHT
Giacomo and Mikki pull into the lot and park.
GIACOMO
Good God, look at all the cars.
MIKKI
They probably want us gone.
INT. ZONING HEARING - NIGHT
Giacomo and Mikki enter and make their way to the meeting
room. When they enter, it's packed.
GIACOMO
I don't like the looks of this.
The SPEAKER (40s, authoritative, deep voice) takes the stage
and bangs his gavel to initiate proceedings.
SPEAKER
The session is now in order. We are
open to suggestions.
A YOUNG WOMAN (35, blonde, well-spoken) stands.
66
YOUNG WOMAN
I don't know about anyone else, but
I vote to let all the animals stay.
(a beat)
My daughter has never done well in
school, but since being visited by
Shinobi, she loves school and works
hard to do better.
An OLDER GENTLEMAN (60s, gray hair, glasses) raises his hand
and stands.
OLDER GENTLEMAN
I've got two grandchildren in
school. They used to hate going,
but ever since Bear and Whiskers
visited their school, they look
forward to going.
A rep from the therapy center testifies as does the manager
at the rehab. Both vote to let them stay.
The doors open and Macie Evans walks in followed by dozens of
children who all testify that the animals should be allowed
to stay. After they finish, voting begins.
FINAL VOTE: THIRTY MINUTES LATER
The speaker takes the stage again and bangs his gavel.
SpeakER The vote has been counted, and it is overwhelmingly
in favor of keeping the animals.
Giacomo beams. He leans over and kisses Mikki.
GIACOMO
I can't believe you did it. You
saved them!
JOEY
C-C-Can we keep B-Bear?
Giacomo puts Joey on his lap and hugs him.
GIACOMO
Of course, we can, buddy. Bear's
gonna be here a long time.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
A Fragile Hope
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - NIGHT
While Giacomo is writing, he hears a noise outside.
67
When he looks, he finds Whiskers dragging herself up the
sidewalk toward the house.
Her back legs are crippled, and she is whimpering.
Giacomo carries her inside and examines her but can't find
anything wrong. No blood. No signs of broken bones, and no
indication of another snake bite.
INT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Mikki and Giacomo wrap Whiskers in a blanket and lay her on
the sofa, but after hours, Whiskers still can't walk. Giacomo
and Mikki take her to the vet.
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - DAY
The vet examines Whiskers and takes a few X-rays.
After he looks at them, he comes to Giacomo and Mikki with
the news.
VET
She's not doing well. I'm guessing
it's a complication from her
previous injury.
MIKKI
Can you do anything for her?
The vet shows them the X-rays.
VET
I don't know if you can make heads
or tails from this, but it's
showing a problem with the lower
back. We've done all we can.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
A Difficult Decision
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - WEEKS LATER — DAY
Whiskers still can't walk, and the vet isn't giving much
hope.
VET
I don't know if there is anything
else to do.
The vet lowers his head and moves closer.
68
VET (cont’d)
I know you don't want to think
about this, but you might consider
putting her down.
Giacomo and Mikki talk for a moment, holding each other.
Tears roll down Mikki's cheek, but Giacomo shakes his head.
GIACOMO
We're not putting her down. I don't
care what the vet says.
MIKKI
You're the one who always
complained about the time it takes
to care for the animals — and the
money.
GIACOMO
I know, but that was before I got
to know the animals. Now, I just
won't do it. I can't do it.
Giacomo and Mikki decide to take her home.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE DAY
They give her pills and tend to her every need but there
isn't much improvement.
MONTAGE: WHISKERS' HEALING
- Giacomo carries Whiskers outside to do her business.
- Mikki brings her food and water and sits with her while she
eats.
- Mikki massages her upper and lower back and legs.
END OF MONTAGE
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
The Search for Whiskers
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo feeds DENNIS (3 years old, wild boar, 300 pounds),
feeds JOE the HORSE (30 years old, mild-mannered, sagging
back), then gives Whiskers an anti- inflammatory pill and
takes her to the front yard.
After Giacomo gets her to the front grass, he goes to the
kitchen to make coffee. When he comes back out, Whiskers is
gone!
69
Giacomo searches the fenced-in part of the front yard, but
she's nowhere. He runs to the front door and opens it.
GIACOMO
Mikki! I can't find Whiskers.
Mikki runs outside, still putting on her coat.
MIKKI
Take the north end; I'll get the
south.
MONTAGE: SEARCH FOR WHISKERS
- Giacomo searches the north side of the pond and the large
hill behind it.
- Mikki looks on the south side of the pond and walks through
the wooded area by the fence.
- Giacomo looks in between the rocks used for building the
waterfalls.
END OF MONTAGE
Giacomo meets Mikki in the front yard by the gate.
GIACOMO
Nothing. You?
Mikki shakes her head.
MIKKI
Get the tractor and look again.
I'll go out back.
Giacomo drives the tractor very slowly, looking in all
directions as he goes around the pond. He gets off the
tractor, moves closer, then WHISTLES loudly.
GIACOMO
Whiskers! Where are you?
GIACOMO (cont’d)
(to himself)
Something's wrong. I've got a sick
feeling about this.
Giacomo walks the edge of the pond, taking one step at a
time. He calls her name continually.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
Whiskers. Whiskers!
70
Giacomo finishes going around the pond one time and starts
again. As he finishes the second lap of the pond, he hears a
WHIMPER. He looks but sees nothing.
He stops and listens, takes a few steps and listens again.
The whimper is coming from the pond!
Giacomo goes to the edge of the pond and stares. About twenty
feet out, he sees Whiskers' nose barely above the water.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
53 -
A Splash of Affection
EXT. SANCTUARY - POND - DAY
Whiskers goes under just as Giacomo jumps into the pond and
briefly goes under. Giacomo moves faster.
GIACOMO
Stay afloat, girl. I'm coming.
With a few more steps, Giacomo reaches Whiskers and grabs
hold of her neck. He pulls her to him and cradles her in his
arms, then heads back to shore.
Whiskers struggles to keep her head above water, and Giacomo
struggles to stay on his feet, but he slips several times on
the slippery bottom of the pond.
Whiskers 'hugs' Giacomo with her legs and whimpers, then
barks.
WHISKERS
Woof-woof. Woof-woof.
Giacomo leans down and kisses her head.
GIACOMO
I know, girl. You'll be safe in a
minute.
Giacomo gets Whiskers to the side of the bank and pushes her
up, but she keeps sliding back. He's standing on a steep,
slippery slope, but he manages to get a foothold on a
protruding tree root, and stabilizes his position.
He gives a big push and gets Whiskers onto dry ground, then
he crawls onto the ground next to her.
He leans in close and kisses her head again.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
You damn crazy dog. You almost got
us both killed.
71
Whiskers lets out a small whimper, then she reaches up and
kisses Giacomo.
Giacomo is surprised, and he leans down and kisses her back.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
That kiss may not seem like much,
but for Whiskers, it was huge! She
hadn't kissed anyone before — ever
— not in ten years.
(a beat)
When she was hit by the car and
Jimmy carried her out every day, he
got no kiss. When Mikki spent days
tending to her snake bite, she got
no kiss.
POND — CONTINUOUS
Giacomo is exhausted, and it's obvious Whiskers is.
He pulls his phone from his pocket and dials Mikki.
GIACOMO
I got her, babe. We're down by the
pond where the weeping willow is.
Get the tractor so we can carry
her.
Mikki pulls up with the tractor, and then she and Giacomo
load Whiskers into the front bucket and take her back to the
house.
Mikki cleans her and dries her off, then she gets pillows and
blankets for the front room where Whiskers likes to stay.
Mikki fluffs up a pillow, then lays Whiskers on the sofa and
covers her with blankets.
MIKKI
(teasing)
I don't know why she kissed you.
Giacomo laughs.
GIACOMO
It was a thank-you kiss.
Mikki brings Whiskers a bowl of fresh water and lays it next
to her head.
72
MIKKI
Instead of reveling in your
unexpected kiss, you should be
figuring out how she managed to
escape the front yard.
Genres:
["Drama","Adventure"]
Ratings
Scene
54 -
Whiskers' Return: A Journey of Care
EXT. SANCTUARY — FRONT YARD - DAY
The fence consists of 4x4 posts, covered with 1x6 slats of
coral board, and that's covered with 12 gauge hog-panel
fencing.
Giacomo walks the fence line searching for the spot Whiskers
uses to escape. He is about halfway finished when Jimmy comes
to help him. They inspect each foot of fence and finally find
the escape route. Giacomo heads back to the house.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Giacomo kneels next to Whiskers, leans in, and kisses her.
Mikki stands alongside Giacomo.
MIKKI
You found how she got out?
GIACOMO
It took a while, but we finally
found the spot where she pushed the
hog panel from the inside and
managed to pop a few nails out.
After that, she squeezed through
the bottom opening.
Jimmy and Giacomo spend two days repairing the fence and
making sure she can't escape again.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Whiskers spends her days resting on the sofa. Several times,
she tries to walk, but her back legs won't support her, and
she collapses.
Every day, Bear comes to visit. Sometimes, he sits with
Whiskers for hours.
MONTAGE: WHISKERS' SECOND HEALING
- Giacomo carries Whiskers out to use the restroom.
73
- Mikki brings her food and fresh water.
- Giacomo sits with Whiskers when Bear leaves.
END OF MONTAGE
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
55 -
Lessons of Loyalty
EXT. SANCTUARY — FRONT PORCH - DAY
Giacomo takes Whiskers outside and sits on the front
porch. Before long, Bear comes to visit.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
There were a lot of things that
surprised me since starting the
sanctuary, but the biggest surprise
may have been seeing the way these
animals treated each other.
(a beat)
Bear was more loyal and caring for
Whiskers than most humans I've
seen. He visited every day, and he
stayed with her for hours, as if
they were reminiscing about old
times.
Giacomo's granddaughter, ADALINA (6, confident, optimistic,
curious) sits next to Giacomo in a small rocking chair.
ADALINA
What are they doing, PopPop?
Giacomo looks and smiles.
GIACOMO
Just re-living old stories.
Adalina furrows her brow.
ADALINA
Dogs can't talk.
Giacomo hugs her and continues rocking in the chair.
GIACOMO
These dogs can, Adalina. And
believe me, they have a lot of
stories to tell.
74
MONTAGE: TELLING OLD TALES
- Bear and Whiskers chasing a large doe into the woods and a
large buck chasing them back out.
- Bear and Whiskers rousting a wild boar.
- Bear and Whiskers circling a snake and chasing it away.
- Bear and Whiskers lying in wait for a squirrel to descend a
tree.
END OF MONTAGE
Giacomo and Mikki sit on the porch and listen to the sheep
frogs and crickets and coyotes.
MIKKI
This is worth more than a million
dollars.
Giacomo nods slowly.
GIACOMO
I always thought I wanted to travel
and see the world. I'm glad we
didn't. Nothing could have replaced
this.
SUPER: TWO HOURS LATER
Bear and Whiskers finally go into the house and Bear shows
the same tolerance with Adalina as he has with the other
grandkids — he lets her do anything to him, and he does
anything she asks of him.
Late in the afternoon, Mikki sees Adalina walking up the
drive. She heads for the door.
MIKKI
I don't know if it's safe for her
to be going so far.
Giacomo sees Bear is walking alongside Adalina, so he turns
to Mikki and laughs.
GIACOMO
I pity the person who tries
anything while Bear is with her.
Mikki thinks and then nods.
75
MIKKI
I guess you're right.
EXT. SANCTUARY — DAY
Adalina skips down the driveway, Bear alongside her. Giacomo
lets her in the gate. She sits on Giacomo's lap in the
rocking chair, and Bear sits on the porch with Whiskers.
Giacomo looks down at Bear and Whiskers, then he leans down
and kisses Adalina on the cheek.
GIACOMO
Adalina, if you end up with even
one friend as loyal as Bear or
Whiskers, you'll be lucky.
After Adalina leaves, Bear and Whiskers go back into the
house, and Whiskers gets up on her sofa.
Genres:
["Drama","Family"]
Ratings
Scene
56 -
Whiskers' Wild Adventure
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY
Mikki continues to tend to Whiskers, keeping her covered and
administering massages daily. Whiskers gives an almost cat-
like purr to show she enjoys the attention.
MIKKI
I think she's feeling better.
ONE DAY LATER
Giacomo lets Whiskers outside on her own. She seems to walk
better although still with a limp and a crooked gait.
TWO NIGHTS LATER
Whiskers puts up a fierce objection to staying inside, and
after a deep investigation, Giacomo finds out why. He goes
for a walk, carrying a flashlight, and he soon realizes why
Whiskers is agitated.
Whiskers' has treed a raccoon and is barking like crazy.
Every time anyone goes out the door, Whiskers tries sneaking
out.
INT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo gets up early and opens the door to let Whiskers into
the front yard, then he goes back to make coffee.
76
HALF AN HOUR LATER - CONTINUOUS
Giacomo goes out front to get her, but she isn't there. He
quickly scours the fence line and finds she has dug an escape
route.
Giacomo hears BARKING from the other side of the pond and
rushes over there.
Whiskers leads the pack: Mollie, Biscotti, and others follow
her on a tour of the property, almost as if she's a tour
guide.
They chase nutria, stalk squirrels, and even roust a few
rabbits. Later that night, they all go wild when the coyotes
howl.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUOUS
Giacomo wakes early and fixes coffee, then he lets Whiskers
out into the front yard.
Giacomo pours his coffee and then takes it outside to sit on
the front porch.
EXT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUOUS
He sets his coffee on the table and sits. He looks for
Whiskers and doesn't see her, but then he hears a ruckus on
the other side of the pond.
Giacomo runs as fast as he can, and when he gets there, he
sees Whiskers and three of the other dogs charging against
two raccoons. Whiskers leads the charge with Biscotti close
behind.
Giacomo glances around and picks up a tree branch, which he
pushes between the dogs and the raccoons. It keeps the dogs
at bay while allowing the raccoons to escape up a tree.
He then herds his dogs and takes them back to the house.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUOUS
Giacomo examines the dogs one at a time and then turns them
over to Mikki, letting her tend to their wounds.
77
MIKKI
Good God, what did they get into?
Biscotti looks like she needs
stitches in her ear, Mollie's eye
is bleeding badly, and Flash's neck
might need stitches. The only one
without wounds is Whiskers.
SANCTUARY - NEXT DAY
Mikki wakes Giacomo early in the morning.
MIKKI
Get up. Something's wrong with
Whiskers again. She can't stand by
herself.
Giacomo jumps out of bed and gets dressed. After checking
her, they take her to the vet.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
57 -
A Heartfelt Goodbye
INT. VETERINARY HOSPITAL - DAY
Giacomo carries Whiskers inside and waits for the vet. Soon,
a tech shows Giacomo to the back room.
VET
Same thing as before?
Giacomo nods.
GIACOMO
She started to do better, but this
morning she went back to not being
able to walk.
The vet does more tests, including additional X-rays.
INT. VET'S OFFICE - DAY
He shows Giacomo and Mikki to his office where he has the X-
rays ready for viewing. He uses a pointer to indicate areas
of interest.
VET
It looks like she has major spinal
damage. She can't feel anything
below her neck.
GIACOMO
How about —
78
The vet shakes his head and sits next to Giacomo and Mikki.
VET
I know how difficult this is, and I
encourage you to get a second
opinion, but I've done as much as I
can.
GIACOMO
Is there anything we can do?
VET
You can try surgery, but she's
getting old, and besides, back
surgery isn't very reliable on
humans, let alone animals. It's
also expensive and there's no
insurance.
Giacomo looks to Mikki and then back at the doc.
GIACOMO
Give us a few minutes to think.
VET
Take all the time you need. I've
given her pain medication, so she
should be comfortable.
Mikki lays her head on Giacomo's shoulder and cries.
MIKKI
Oh, my God. What are we going to
do? It's Whiskers.
Giacomo squeezes her tightly and wipes tears from his eyes.
His voice falters when he speaks.
GIACOMO
I know, babe. I know.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
I always heard that losing a child
was the worst thing that could
happen, but losing Whiskers has to
be close. I miss her already.
Giacomo informs the doctor of their decision, then he and
Mikki spend time with her to say goodbye. Mikki combs her
hair, and they both talk to her as if she's an old friend.
Mikki's crying grows worse, and she hugs and hugs Whiskers.
79
MIKKI
I know we've been through this
before, but she is so alive and so
alert.
Giacomo consoles Mikki while continuously petting Whiskers.
He finally leans down and gives her one last kiss and
whispers a goodnight message.
GIACOMO
That's not a goodbye kiss,
Whiskers; that's just a goodnight
kiss. We'll see you soon. In the
meantime, you'll be up there
playing with Princess and Slick and
Kelly.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
58 -
Reflections on Love and Loss
EXT. FRONT PORCH - NIGHT
Giacomo and Mikki sit on the porch and talk.
GIACOMO
If anyone had asked me twelve years
ago, if I would spend so much time
and money on an animal sanctuary,
I'd have said they were crazy.
(a beat)
Now I can't imagine it any other
way.
Mikki scoots her chair closer and pats Giacomo's arm.
MIKKI
We've saved a lot of animals, babe.
You should be proud.
Giacomo nods.
GIACOMO
We started out with a mission to
rescue animals. Sometimes I think
they saved me.
INT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
Giacomo, hears a scratch, and goes to the front door. Bear is
standing there.
80
EXT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
He opens the door and goes outside. Bear lies on the porch
next to Giacomo's chair.
Giacomo calls to Mikki.
GIACOMO
Bear is here to visit.
Mikki brings out a couple of glasses of wine, and she and
Giacomo sit in the rocking chairs, Bear on the ground between
them.
After a few moments, Giacomo takes the cushion off the chair
and lies next to Bear, pets his head and whispers to him, his
voice cracking.
GIACOMO (cont’d)
I know you miss her, Bear. I do
too. I miss her more than anything.
Bear lets out a small WHIMPER, lifts his head, kisses
Giacomo, and then lays his head back down.
Giacomo pets him for a moment, then goes inside.
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
59 -
A Bittersweet Farewell
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - NIGHT
Giacomo works late - writing - and when he gets up for a
glass of wine, he hears barking and howling reminiscent of
when Whiskers was on patrol.
EXT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
He steps outside, then walks to where the barking is.
Biscotti is lying close to Whiskers' grave and she barks at
anything that dares come close. She isn't letting anything
near the property.
Giacomo sits on a rock and smiles. Whiskers has trained her
replacement well. Biscotti is just as protective as Whiskers
was.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
I'm convinced now that the last few
days — when Whiskers seemed to have
gotten a new purpose — it wasn't a
resurgence of energy or life. She
simply hung on long enough to show
Biscotti what she had to do, like a
master training her apprentice.
81
EXT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
It's a cool autumn night, filled with the sounds of life:
frogs chirp, flying squirrels chitter, crickets sound from
out back near the barn, and the eleven o'clock train spurs
the coyotes to howl, now a nightly routine.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
Everything seemed perfect. But I
would have given anything to hear
Whiskers bark just one more time.
Giacomo goes down and sits next to Whiskers' grave, where
Biscotti sits. He pets her neck and head. Then he repeats his
goodbye message to Whiskers.
GIACOMO
We were together a long time,
Whisk. You made us angry. Made us
worry. You even made us cry. But
you made life exciting, and you
gave us a lot of laughs. Best of
all, you made us love you.
(a beat)
I don't know if you understand
what's going on. Or if you're
scared. But don't worry, you're
going to a place like you've never
seen. Pretty soon your eyes will
close. When they open again, you
will be with your friends.
(a beat)
Slick will be there, and you can
play with him as you did when you
were puppies. Princess will teach
you the ropes and show you the new
territory. Kelly will be there to
fight with, and no one will get
hurt.
(a beat)
And before you know it — while
you're having fun — your best
friend, Bear, will show up. And the
two of you can roam the woods
forever.
END OF FLASHBACK
Genres:
["Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
60 -
A Final Farewell
EXT. SANCTUARY - DAY
Giacomo and Joe are working with shovels now; they've gone as
deep as they can with the tractor, and the grave needs to be
dug deeper.
82
MIKKI
Make sure it's deep enough. We
can't let the coyotes get to her,
not after she spent ten years
fending them off.
Mikki lifts the blanket, gives her another kiss, then Giacomo
and Joe place her gently into the grave.
Mikki climbs in and sets the pillow under her head.
GIACOMO (V.O.)
This was the difficult part for me
— covering her up. I disliked
digging graves, but I loathed
covering them up; it seemed so
permanent. I took a deep breath,
then lowered a scoop of dirt on top
of her. And then another. And
another.
INT. SANCTUARY HOUSE - NIGHT
Giacomo reaches over to pet Whiskers' and realizes she's not
there. Then he anziously looks around.
GIACOMO
Where's Biscotti?
Mikki looks around and checks behind the sofa, then panics.
MIKKI
She's not here. Mollie's not here
either!
Giacomo heads for the front door.
GIACOMO
Get a flashlight.
EXT. SANCTUARY - NIGHT
CLOSE TO DRIVE
Giacomo and Mikki walk the property using a flashlight to
see, and all the while, calling the dogs' names. Then Mikki
tugs on Giacomo's arm and gestures toward the drive.
MIKKI
Look over there; they're sitting by
Whiskers' grave.
83
Giacomo turns and looks. Mollie and Biscotti sit no more than
three feet from Whiskers' grave, and they're on full alert.
Biscotti's head is raised in the air, sniffing as she keeps
watch on the property.
MIKKI (cont’d)
I guess we're safe again. Whiskers
trained her replacement.