A Dog Named Christmas is the 237th presentation by
Hallmark Hall of Fame, the long-running anthology program of American television films. It was based on a novel of the same name by Greg Kincaid, which was published in 2008. He wrote the story almost ten years prior for his wife, Michale Ann, and his five children, who ranged in age from 9 to 13. Kincaid said his family hated the original story, particularly because of the unhappy ending. Kincaid rewrote the story over the next year, with a new ending that his family liked better. He named a character in the story after each of his children. The novel was fast-tracked into a film production in January 2009. During the film's original broadcast on
CBS on November 29, 2009, the network sponsored a nationwide "Foster a Lonely Pet" program with
Petfinder.com, an online database of adoptable pets, which included more than 2,000 shelters and
animal-rescue groups across North America. After the end credits, a
public service announcement was aired featuring Greg Kincaid describing the promotion. ==Reception==