Puppies Sponsored By Tales & Tails Book Café To Make Debut At Bookstore On August 8
- Lenora Kruk - Mullanaphy
- Jul 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 27
The public will get to cuddle with some of the tiniest rescues from Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) at Tales & Tails Book Café in Fredericksburg from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., August 8. Christine Bowman and Hunter Bufkin, owners of the business, sponsored and named a litter of puppies—the “Lisa Gardner Litter”—that will make their debut. Lisa Gardner, a New York Times number one bestselling author, is the puppy litter’s namesake, and she’ll be at the store to sign books during their first time in public. Gardner has made a commitment to match the bookstore’s sales up to $10,000 on the day of the event and donate the amount to ODHS.
“When we opened the bookstore in 2025, one of our missions was to support local dog rescues, and it’s been so easy to do that with ODHS,” said Bowman. “We’re truly blown away by how wonderful the volunteers from ODHS have been. They’re so kind and really care about the dogs and the community at large.”
Gardner’s newest book, “You’ll be Sorry,” features two dog characters, which, according to Bowman, make the story so fantastic. The puppies, which will be available for adoption during the event, have been named for Gardner’s characters and include six males (Warren, Quincy, Frankie, Elkin, Dane and Pierce) and three females (D.D., Rainie and Flora). Tessa, a black mixed breed canine, is the mother dog’s name.
Guests at Tales & Tails are invited on the patio for a great pairing--to view the adorable litter and meet Gardner during the book signing. The shaded puppy patio allows guests to bring their favorite furry friends. Staff can deliver pup cups for four-legged guests and coffee and books for the pet owners.
“The work ODHS does right here in Fredericksburg is amazing, and we love the fact that it saves dogs from other shelters and facilities,” said Bowman. “It’s truly such a great organization, and we’re lucky to have them in our community.
Lisa Gardner has generously offered to match the store’s sales up to $10,000 on August 8 and donate the proceeds to the rescue dogs at ODHS.”
Bowman and Bufkin’s two dogs, Buster, 10, and Ruth, five, were rescued in Puerto Rico.
Businesses, groups and organizations can attach their names to a great cause by sponsoring puppy litters from ODHS. The $300 sponsorship is used to care for the new pups with examinations, vaccinations, flea and tick medication and more. The sponsoring business can name the litter of puppies and reap the benefits of gaining positive social media exposure, including on the ODHS Facebook page that has nearly 30,000 followers. The businesses can keep up to date about their puppy litters by joining the ODHS Alumni Facebook group, where adopters share photos and talk about the pups.
Tales & Tails Book Café is located at 1010 Charles Street in Fredericksburg.
Old Dominion Humane Society provides well-matched, permanent homes for dogs in need through rescue, rehabilitation, and education.
ODHS is located at 3602 Lafayette Boulevard in Fredericksburg. Adoption events are Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m., Fridays from 6-8 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adoption surveys submitted in advance are preferred and take priority over walk-ins. For more information about the dogs available for adoption and adoption surveys, as well as upcoming events, volunteering, fostering and donating, visit https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org.
