TV Movie 'A Dog Named Christmas' Debuts on Sunday, Kicking off Holiday Pet Fostering Program

On Sunday night, CBS will air "A Dog Named Christmas," a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie about a yellow Labrador retriever who changes the life of a young man and his family.

In conjunction with the television premiere, Petfinder.com is holding a special "Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays" initiative, asking families across America to consider fostering a pet from a local shelter or rescue group for the holiday season, ideally from Christmas Eve until New Year's Day.

In the TV movie -- based on the novel "A Dog Named Christmas" by Greg Kincaid -- 20 year-old Todd (played by Noel Fisher) is a developmentally challenged young man with a habit of rescuing hurt squirrels and hawks found in the woods surrounding his family's farm. "Todd has his own way of looking at things," his father (played by Bruce Greenwood) says.

When Todd hears on the radio about a local "adopt a dog" program, he begs his father to let him get a dog for the holidays. Though his father is against the idea, he eventually relents. At the local animal shelter, there are many adorable dogs, but Todd makes a special connection with a Labrador retriever with a wise-looking mug. They take the dog home and name his Christmas.

But will Christmas go back to the pound after the holidays? "Our hope with this movie is to start a nationwide fostering program, and that many families who agree to 'foster' an animal for the holidays will decide to 'adopt' the animal for its lifetime," author Kincaid said in a statement.

"A Dog Named Christmas" airs on CBS this Sunday, November 29 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT. To find out which shelters and rescue organizations in your area are participating in the "Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays" program, visit Petfinder.com.

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