The Search for Santa Paws is a 2010 Christmas adventure fantasy film released on November 23, 2010. The title is the tenth film in the Air Bud franchise and is also a prequel to Santa Buddies, as well as a spin-off from the Air Buddies film franchise.
Plot
At the North Pole, while celebrating his birthday, Santa Claus receives a letter and gift from New York City, informing him of the passing of old friend and toy store owner Mr. Hucklebuckle, who was an ambassador for "The Santa Cause", an organization of delegates who embrace and encourage Christmas spirit around the world. To cheer Santa up, his head elf Eli uses the great Christmas icicle to bring the gift, a stuffed dog, to life. Santa names the puppy Paws and the two become best friends.
In New York, an orphan named Quinn arrives at the 64th Street Home For Girls, an orphanage run by Ms. Gladys Stout, a strict woman who disapproves of anything that the children love including Christmas decorations and toys which she often steals and throws them in her incinerator in the house's basement. Despite this, Quinn befriends the other girls, including the oldest, Willamina "Will", who has lost her Christmas spirit since the death of her own parents when she was Quinn's age.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hucklebuckle's grandson James, a CPA from Los Angeles and his wife Kate arrive at his toy store and are informed by their caseworker Mr. Stewart that they must run the store profitably for one Christmas season in order to gain ownership. They decide to hire a store Santa to bring in customers, intending to sell the store once they have ownership.
Santa and Paws decide to travel to New York to visit Hucklebuckle's store, landing in Central Park gaining the attention of a homeless man named Gus, who decides to follow them. On the streets, Santa bumps into Ms. Stout, falls into the street and is hit by a cab. Paws tries to ask for help, which leads to him and Santa getting separated. Santa's magical crystal is stolen by Gus. He recovers, but has amnesia, and after spending the night wandering the streets he finds his way to Hucklebuckle Toys. James and Kate assuming he is an applicant take him in and give him a job as their store Santa. Santa introduces himself as "Bud" due to Gus referring to him by the name earlier.
After spending the night wandering the streets, Paws meets three stray dogs named Haggis, Rasta and T-Money who are captured by Franklin, a dogcatcher and Ms. Stout's boyfriend. Paws manages to create a diversion and uses the magic of his crystal rescue them from the truck. Grateful, they pledge their loyalty to him and vow to help him find Santa in hopes that they can get off of the naughty list.
Learning of the situation, Eli and his uncanny elf dog Eddy go to New York, where they recruit local Boy Scout Jimmy to help. Eventually, they find Gus and get him to return Santa's crystal to them. However, Santa soon lands in the hospital after being without his crystal too long. Meanwhile, Paws meets Quinn and is secretly brought back to the orphanage, where he befriends the girls and uses his crystal's magic to give them Christmas cheer, including hobby horses, Christmas bedding and colorful feathers, and even Christmas decor and dresses.
Ms. Stout discovers this and locks Paws and Will (who takes the fall for Quinn) in the basement, stealing Quinn's late mother's angel ornament (the last thing her mother gave her before her passing) and Paws's crystal. Will hears Paws speak and regains her Christmas spirit overnight, but without his crystal, Paws reverts to stuffed animal form by the next morning. When Ms. Stout discovers this, she assumes Paws escaped and unknowingly throws him into the incinerator before going on a date with Franklin. Eli arrives and he and the girls narrowly save Paws before he falls into the incinerator. They return Paws' crystal and restore him to life, as Jimmy arrives and tells Eli that Santa is at Hucklebuckle Toys. Will and Quinn come along with Haggis, Rasta and T-Money. Eli tells Jimmy to keep the pin, making him an official Santa's helper, before Jimmy heads home.
That evening, Ms. Stout and Franklin return to the orphanage where they are met by Mrs. Gibson, who informs her that she received a phone call from Eli that the girls were left alone all day and night, and that Will and Quinn are missing. Despite her attempts to excuse her absence, Ms. Stout is fired and evicted by court order, and Mrs. Gibson takes over the orphanage.