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Santa Buddies, also known as Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws, is a 2009 American Christmas comedy film. It is the fourth installment of the Air Buddies spin-off series as well as the ninth film in the Air Bud franchise. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 24, 2009. Tom Bosley's appearance in the film was his final role before his death in 2010. "Tom Bosley, Father on 'Happy Days', Dies at 83", Associated Press via The New York Times, October 19, 2010.
After causing mayhem in Santa's workshop and getting exiled for it, Puppy Paws (Zachary Gordon), the fun-loving son of Santa Paws, stares at the Icicle and states "I wish Christmas would just disappear", which causes it to crack. He finds Budderball (Josh Flitter) on Santa's naughty list for eating the Thanksgiving turkey and figures he's just the dog to show him how to be an ordinary puppy. Meanwhile, the Christmas Icicle makes a big crack, shuts off the power at the North Pole, and makes the reindeer weak and powerless.
Budderball and the other Buddies (Field Cate, Liliana Mumy, Skyler Gisondo, Ty Panitz), also lacking in Christmas spirit, believe that their father is Santa Paws in disguise, and that the naughty list is a way to scare them to behave. Sniffer (Tim Conway) however replies that Christmas is about giving and a holiday they must learn to respect.
Puppy Paws makes it to Fernfield, Washington to find Budderball in his home. Budderball introduces Puppy Paws to his brothers and sister. The North Pole puppy ends up being a nuisance to each of the Buddies: Budderball is framed for eating the shortbread cookies as he tries to get back on the nice list; B-Dawg gets beaten at breakdancing by Puppy Paws, who even accidentally breaks a vase; Puppy Paws, unaware not to do so, shakes dirt out of his fur in the living room after Mudbud gives him lessons on how to roll in the dirt, creating holiday shapes of the dirt spots which results in Mudbud being put in a cover-up coat for the rest of the day; Rosebud gets an extreme Christmas makeover, and Buddha's meditation statue is turned into a snowman as Puppy Paws explains that the snowman is "what citizens of the North Pole meditate in front of".
Fed up with Puppy Paws' antics, the Buddies lose their patience and eject him from their house. They soon learn that Puppy Paws isn't hurting them as they are hurting themselves and decide to treat him with compassion. Puppy Paws gets taken away by dog catcher Stan Cruge (Christopher Lloyd), who takes him to the Dog pound. There, Puppy Paws meets a puppy named Tiny (Kaitlyn Maher) who is wishing for a Christmas miracle and sings a song about miracles, which teaches Puppy Paws about the true meaning of Christmas.
The Buddies, along with an Christmas elf dog named Eddy (Richard Kind), come to the rescue. Eddy tells Cruge that he knows the dog catcher always wanted a puppy for Christmas, but his mother was allergic to dogs and never got one, which made Cruge hate Christmas and become a dog catcher.
With help from an elf named Eli (Danny Woodburn), Christmas spirit returns, the Christmas Icicle stops melting, and the North Pole is back in business. Puppy Paws and the Buddies make it to the North Pole. The reindeer are unable to fly, and Puppy Paws and the Buddies volunteer to save Christmas with their uncanny abilities (Snow Buddies). A changed Mr. Cruge brings Tiny over to the child who has been asking for a puppy as a Christmas present. Tiny says her goodbyes to the Buddies and Puppy Paws. After their last delivery, Santa Claus and Santa Paws arrive in Fernfield. Santa puts the Buddies (including Budderball) on top of the nice list, Puppy Paws becomes part of Santa's family, and the Buddies bid him farewell.
Mr. Cruge is invited to dinner with Tiny's new family. The film ends with the entire town (including the Buddies and Deputy Sniffer), led by Cruge, singing "Silent Night" in front of Fernfield's Christmas tree.
Spooky Buddies was released on September 20, 2011, as a Halloween film, featuring the Buddies in a new adventure filled with curses, ghosts, and mayhem, and an attempt to stop Warwick the Warlock and the Halloween Hound. Treasure Buddies was released on January 31, 2012, as an Indiana Jones-like film, featuring the Buddies in another new adventure trying to stop Cleocatra in Egypt.
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