After her world falls apart, a glamorous big-city girl who is terrified of animals must run a pet sitting business but in the process confronts her fears and finds love.

Script Pipeline RECOMMEND

SYNOPSIS:

After a traumatic childhood incident, SUMMER CLAUSSEN becomes terrified of animals. Only problem is, they don’t reciprocate. She’s visited by parrots in bed, hugged by monkeys and attacked by tiny dogs in the beauty salon where she works. But none of this means anything until Summer embarrasses her number one client – MRS. LILLY – and is blacklisted in salons all over Boston. Suddenly she's goes from nail stylist to the elite to sleeping on the couch of Maggie, her hippie mother. Her only way out is to run the pet sitting business she’s inherited from cousin LOVIS.

So Summer braves Dexter, R.I., home of the Disagreeable Tiger Moth--run the business for 30 days, care for Lovis’ motley animals and organize an event at the annual fair and she’s free. These tasks complete, Lovis’ farm and business are hers to sell, providing the nest egg Summer desperately needs to fulfill her dream of owning her own salon. She’s even picked out the location and put down a deposit. Now just ride out a month of pets.

But when Summer arrives at the dilapidated farm, things aren’t easy. She’s constantly locking horns with Lovis’ animals; an old circus horse (JOHN WAYNE), a wily goat (CHARLIE CHAN), a headstrong rooster (CARY GRANT) and a gaggle of chickens with glamorous starlet names like GRETA GARBO. In fact, on her first day, she’s chased into the barn, knocked off a haystack and catapulted backwards onto the horse. He then bolts outside and throws her into the mud right in front of her dreamy veterinary neighbor, PETER JENSEN, and his scheming, lovelorn assistant, BARBARA.

Despite their unusual introduction, there’s a definite spark between Peter and Summer, which riles Barbara to no end. Initially Summer believes Peter and Barbara are an item, but once this is cleared up, there’s nothing keeping Summer and her dreamboat apart. Nothing, that is, except her deep-seated and now hidden fear of animals. But as Summer takes over Lovis’ life, she starts to change. Instead of being sources of anxiety, Lovis’ animals become like friends. Even when Charlie Chan escapes and shorts out the street, Summer doesn’t blink an eye.

Despite a series of unexplained animal disasters, for a while everything is fine. Summer learns how to wake sleepy ferrets, chase out of control dachshunds, take iguanas for a stroll and attend to her pet clients’ every need. On top of all that, she and Peter enjoy a blossoming romance. But working behind the scenes is the insanely jealous Barbara. After failing to deter Summer with her own ploys, she turns to Mrs. Lilly for help. Visiting both Summer’s enemy and her mother, Barbara gathers the information she needs to bring Summer down.

Meanwhile Summer and Peter work on her act for the upcoming fair. She and the chickens choreograph a Soul-inspired dance routine. Maggie even comes to Dexter to help out. But on the big day, Barbara sabotages the grand finale. The town turns on Summer, especially when Barbara reveals a previous interview where Summer declares her dislike for animals. Peter is shell-shocked especially the revelation that Summer’s planning to sell up and leave.

Finally Barbara has her way. Summer puts the farm up for sale and returns to Boston to open her salon. After putting Mrs. Lilly in her place once and for all, Summer’s new business soon becomes a success. But when Barbara decides to buy Lovis’ farm, the animals conspire to bring Summer back.

In a final showdown, Summer proves that she’s a real animal lover and that Barbara was responsible for the animal mayhem at the fair and elsewhere. Peter and Summer patch things up. In fact, they get married. And finally Summer has her dream nail salon – only this time one that caters to both pets and people.