Introducing Stuffy G

6/14/2026

A few months ago, I decided it would be fun to pull one of my stuffed German Shepherds off my shelf and take photos of him around the office. Cute, but it needed something that showed off the series. I thought it would be cool if he were wearing the Gunter pin in the photos, so I added a bandana to safely pin it on. I took a couple of photos, which were adorable, but you really couldn’t see the series name, especially if he was facing the other way. After brainstorming a bit, I ordered a shirt with the Jerry McNeal Series logo on it. Again, it was super cute, but he still needed a little JMS bling. That led to me placing a Jerry McNeal Series bracelet on the dog’s leg. To my delight, it was the perfect fit. So, I added another. It worked. I could now take photos of him facing me or the door, and both would showcase the series. Of course, the little dog needed a name, so after trying out more than a few, I decided on Stuffy G- deciding it to be the perfect fit for the adorable, well-dressed pup that would now be my office mascot. Most normal people would have stopped there, but as you probably already know, I am far from normal. To that point, I have asked the hubby if he thinks I’m crazy- to which he assures me I am delightfully eccentric. Okay, I added the delightful part, but I like to think it’s true.

A week or so later, the hubby and I were getting ready to head to Dowagiac, Michigan, so I could give a presentation on the History of the Orphan Trains. We’d decided to take our time coming home and stop in Grand Rapids for the night. We had seen a TikTok video featuring a large antique store we wanted to explore, and of course, no trip to Grand Rapids is complete without stopping by the fish ladder. I decided to take Stuffy G with us, as I thought it would be cool to get a photo of him looking out over the water. Little did I know how much that decision to take him along would change our lives.

The moment we stepped inside the antique store, I saw so many photo opportunities. The first of which was a set of firefighter boots and a fire helmet, which I knew would be the perfect setting to show off JMS book 21, titled Last Responder. I am still having near-syncope episodes if I move too quickly, so the hubby went to the Durango to get Stuffy G. I laughed and took a few photos when he brought him inside, carrying my newfound “friend” like, well, a stuffed animal. I told him, “You can’t carry him like that, he’s Stuffy G.”

The first few times I took Stuffy G with me to take photos, it felt a bit awkward. Especially on the occasion when a more ‘normal’ person happened to give me a sideways glance as if silently saying, “that woman isn’t all there.” I guess people aren’t used to seeing a 63-year-old woman carrying around a stuffed animal. I won’t tell you what my sailor hubby had to say about what other people think, but with his encouragement (see, he does have a playful side), it soon became more natural to travel with our friend. That is how Stuffy G became the official mascot of the Jerry McNeal Series. The hubby and I have both become rather fond of the little guy who now travels with us wherever we go, helps spread the word about the series, and is always ready for the next photo op. We've met some great people over the last few months who love hearing about the series and are eager to pose for photos with Stuffy G.

Now, I could end this here, but traveling with Stuffy G isn’t the end of the story. As much to my surprise, my fans started commenting on my photos, asking how they could get their own Stuffy G. It wasn’t just one or two who asked! So, I thought, why not? Wouldn’t it be great if Jerry McNeal Series fans could have their own Stuffy G? Better still, if those fans would post pictures and help spread the word about the series! With that in mind, I ordered a litter of 10 puppies, official JMS shirts, and bandanas, and listed them in my author store. To my surprise, that first litter of pups sold out in 2 days! I’ve ordered 20 more and have more official JMS shirts and bandanas on the way, and will continue to order as needed.

I’ve also set three pricing tiers to help try to make them accessible to everyone. Each pup (regardless of tier) will come with series swag and a numbered adoption certificate that I personally sign. I do not put the name of the person ordering on the certificate, as that will allow them to be purchased and given as gifts.

My next goal - when I have time – is to add a Stuffy G page to my website where I can add photos of our travels. Until then, you can see many of these photos on Facebook.

If you choose to get your own Stuffy G, I would LOVE for you to post pictures of his adventures. Please be sure to use the hashtags #StuffyG #thejerrymcnealseries and #sherryaburton as they will go a long way toward spreading the word about the series.

Thanks for reading, and as always, thank you for sharing our journey with us!
~ Sherry