Animator, veteran of Lucasfilm, director and Auburn University alumnus Jamy Wheless hosted an event at the Auburn Public Library on Nov. 7, at 9:30 a.m. to introduce one of his newest characters: Andy the future service dog. Andy made his debut in a short film directed by Wheless and is now the star of a brand-new children’s book based on the film.
Wheless graduated from Auburn with a degree in illustration in 1987. He went on to work on computer animation and even began working on George Lucas' industrial light and magic team. Although his most well-known work was animating Yoda in the "Star Wars" prequels, he also helped bring to life many other characters, including Davy Jones, The Hulk and Optimus Prime.
Wheless is now the director and founder of his own animation company, IGNITE Animation Studios. Their short film, "The Pig on the Hill," was award-winning, and now Wheless has directed a new short film that released last year about a new character, Andy.
"Andy: A Dog’s Tale" is a story about a dog overcoming his fears and challenges to become a service dog. Partnering up with Canine Companions and Jean Shulz, he created the film to teach children about service dogs, empathy and perseverance. After the success of Wheless and Shulz’s sweet tale of resilience, author John Kelly wrote a children’s picture book based on the character, while Amy Wheless, his wife, designed it.
The event, hosted by Auburn Oil Co. Booksellers, began as one of the library’s normal puppets show events that they do every Friday morning. The kids all gathered on the carpet with their parents and watched with delight as the puppets performed a children’s book story and sang some songs.
The group then moved into another room where Wheless presented his charming short film that has now won several awards, including best animation at the Greece Film Festival and the World Cine Fest. First, the children were rowdy and very excited, shouting out things as they saw them on the screen, such as “dog!”
By the end of the film, the room was moved to silence, every child enthralled and focused on the sweet ending. Even parents were tearing up, moved by the story of a nervous dog turning into a hero for his new owner.
“I love to stand and watch the audience, whether it’s kids or adults, and watch their expression right after he picks up the inhaler,” Wheless said. “There’s a shift in their face, and it’s a reward to see that […] because it actually made an impact.”
After they showed the film, Wheless and his wife stood up in front of the kids to talk about the book, the story and how it came to be. He showed some of the original sketches of Andy and how he developed the storyboard. He also mentioned that he owns the real-life Andy, a 10-month-old puppy.
They asked some comprehension questions to the children about what they had just watched. Wheless also asked them if they liked to draw.
“I ended up getting to make a movie because I liked drawing characters,” Wheless said to the crowd about how his passion had started when he little.
Afterwards, Auburn Oil Co. had a table set up with several copies of the book where Wheless sat and signed them for parents and kids. All profits from sales of the new book benefit Canine Companions so they can continue to provide service dogs for those in need.
In one conversation, Wheless mentioned how he was working with students at Auburn University to produce AU's first short film in 2027, but the project is still under wraps.
There was also a real-life service dog, Josette, with her handler, prosecutor Madison Grantham. Josette is a Canine Companions Facility Dog that works at the Lee County District Attorney Office to brighten people’s days in the courthouse. Children were able to interact with her before and after Wheless’s presentation, and they were very excited to do so.
"See her blue vest?" Grantham said to the group about Josette. "That means she's ready to go to work."
That same blue vest can be seen on Andy in the short film like a superhero's cape, representing to viewers how heroic service dogs truly are.
With their copies of "Andy: A Dog’s Tale" held tightly in their hands, children and parents left the library feeling inspired and moved by this little dog's big journey.
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Katelyn Smith, sophomore majoring in journalism, is from Birmingham, Alabama. She has been with The Auburn Plainsman since the fall of 2025.
