Santa Paws, Come Home is the third book in Nicholas Edwards’s Santa Paws series. In this one, our intrepid dog hero’s fame only grows when he tracks down a missing child shortly before Christmas. This puts him on the radar of an unscrupulous person who wants the intelligent canine for themselves and pays a couple of petty thieves to dognap him. After waking up in his abductors’ van, Santa Paws is frightened and disoriented. All he knows is that he must escape their clutches and get back home to his family. The only problem is that once he does finally give them the slip, he finds himself in New York City, a strange and scary place far from home. He decides to search for nice people who might help him, only to discover that while the people back home seem to love him, many of the people in this city are either scared of him or don’t like him. Relying on his instincts, he figures out which way to go, and along the way, he does receive assistance from some good people, while providing his special brand of help for others who need him. He also picks up a little friend to keep him company on his long journey. But will they be able to find their way home in time for the Callahans’ Christmas celebration?

I adored the first two books in this series, and this third one was equally as good. It gives off The Incredible Journey vibes as Santa Paws is lost far from home and just trying to find the way back to his family. He manages to find a few kind people who are willing to help him on his journey, as well as a little animal companion. This canine hero also can’t help wanting to help anyone he finds who might be in need, so along the way, he provides assistance for many folks who are awed by his intelligence and grateful that he came along when he did. Of course, back at home, the Callahans are beside themselves with sadness and worry, frantically searching for Santa Paws and hoping against hope that either they’ll find their beloved pup or he’ll somehow return to them before Christmas. I’d say that the bulk of this book is written from Santa Paws’s perspective and I was once again impressed with how well the author manages to get inside a dog’s mind and come up with plausible thought trains for him. The dog is so smart and helpful, this series reminds me of the old Lassie films and TV show, which I loved growing up. I can’t imagine this story and the series as a whole not entertaining kids (or the young at heart) who enjoy animals stories. Overall, this was another fun and heartwarming read that I thoroughly enjoyed. ( )

Before Santa Paws knew what was happeneing, he was beging driven far away from his home in a stranger's car. When he breaks free he finds himself all alone in New York City, a very big and unvamiliar place. He has to find his way back home to the Callahans in time for Christmas!