History Literature / AnimalInn

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Val's rabbits are named [[ShoutOutThemeNaming Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail]]... and Sam. (Which is apparently a retcon, since he's referred to as Peter in the first book.)

** Jake Curran's rabbit Harvey has six babies, whose names are given in book 2 -- two of them are named for [[Literature/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan and Jane]], and two are named for comic book characters: [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]].

* AnimalLover: Val, who loves animals to the point of having become a vegetarian because she can't stand the thought of eating an animal she's once treated, and one of her biggest peeves is people who abandon or mistreat animals of any kind. However, even ''she'' has her limits, as seen in book 3 when Gigi the capuchin monkey drives her a little bananas).

* LikeFatherLikeSon:%%Apparently a supertrope; better fits the not yet launched FollowingInRelativesFootsteps.
** Val takes after her father in her love of animals and chosen career as a vet.
** Erin wants to be a ballerina like her mother, who performed in the Pennsylvania Ballet before her death.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Val, who loves any and all animals (though even ''she'' has her limits, as seen in book 3 when Gigi the capuchin monkey drives her a little bananas).

* BerserkButton: Val can get very... ''passionate'' about animals who are abandoned or mistreated by their owners.

* LikeFatherLikeSon:%%Apparently a supertrope; need to find where the entry belongs.

* TheBully: Sparky, when first introduced in book 4. She stops after making friends.
* ChristmasEpisode: Book 11 is set around the holiday season.

** Marcy Butler, Mr. and Mrs. Bauer's visiting niece in book 4. She's more scared of the animals than anything, but opens up with Erin's help due to a shared interest in ballet and comes to bond with the new lambs on the farm.

* LikeFatherLikeSon:

* StrawVegetarian: Averted by Val -- she loves animals and won't eat meat because she can't bring herself to eat an animal she might have helped care for in her veterinary work (though she will eat animal products like eggs and cheese), and does occasionally cringe when someone else brings up the subject of eating meat in her presence. However, she doesn't try to force her beliefs on others, stating in book 4 that "I don't expect everybody to feel the way I do about animals", and will help prepare meat dishes for her family. She also isn't opposed to animals eating meat when it's in their species' nature.
* ThanksgivingEpisode: The later part of book 9.

* WeddingFinale: The GrandFinale sees Doc and Mrs. Sparks marrying, holding a small ceremony in the Taylor family living room (despite the efforts of the mayor, who wants to turn the entire thing into a big to-do because of Doc being one of the family's most respected citizens) and the reception at Miss Maggie Rafferty's estate.

* 06: ''All the Way Home'' (August 1987) [[labelnote:Summary]]A runty piglet named Tiny finds his way into Val's care, but Val's visiting cousin Milton isn't too happy about the pig's presence.[[/labelnote]]

* TheBully: Sparky, when first introduced. She stops after making friends.

** Val's visiting cousin Milton in book 6, a city kid who's unhappy about being around animals (especially pigs).

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Val, who loves any and all animals (though even ''she'' has her limits, as seen when Gigi the capuchin monkey drives her a little bananas).

* MischiefMakingMonkey: Gigi the capuchin, who causes quite a bit of trouble for the Taylor family when she's recovered enough. The last straw for Val is when Gigi bites Cleveland's tail, prompting Val to insist that the monkey go. (And she does, to a nearby petting zoo that treats its animals well.)

* TheRuntAtTheEnd: Tiny the piglet, who's literally the runt of his litter in book 6, and whom Val takes home to spare his life.

* ShoutOut: Teddy's temporary ferret Frank is explicitly named for [[Series/{{MASH}} Major Frank Burns]] (AKA "Ferret-face").

** Jake Curran's rabbit Harvey has six babies, two of whom are named for [[Literature/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan and Jane]]. He also names two after comic book characters -- [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]].

* WeNamedTheMonkeyJack: A friendly version with two of Harvey (a female rabbit)'s babies, who are named for people that their owner Jake knows -- Doc and Valentine (the last was Jake's brother Toby's idea).

'''''Animal Inn''''' is a children's series by Virginia Vail, published from September 1986 to March 1991. It follows the Taylor family of Essex, Pennsylvania: "Doc" Theodore Taylor, who runs the veterinary hospital Animal Inn, thirteen-year-old series protagonist Valentine (who works part-time at Animal Inn as well), eleven-year-old ballerina-in-training Erin, and eight-year-old Teddy. The household also includes a number of pets.

* CityMouse: Marcy Butler, Mr. and Mrs. Bauer's visiting niece in book 4. She's more scared of the animals than anything, but opens up with Erin's help due to a shared interest in ballet and comes to bond with the new lambs on the farm.

* ParentWithNewParamour: Catherine Sparks, introduced in book 4, becomes engaged to Doc in book 11 and marries him in book 12. Val, Erin and Teddy aren't happy about the idea at first, despite liking her - they just don't like the idea of someone "replacing" their mother (and Erin had the hardest time with it). Fortunately, Catherine is very understanding of their reactions and, with time, the kids accept that she's not going to try and replace Mrs. Taylor in their hearts. Sparky, on the other hand, didn't have any trouble with the idea of Doc being her stepfather at all.

** Jake Curran's rabbit Harvey has six babies, two of whom are named for [[Literature/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan and Jane]]. He also names two after comic book characters - [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]].
* StrawVegetarian: Averted by Val - she loves animals and won't eat meat because she can't bring herself to eat an animal she might have helped care for in her veterinary work (though she will eat animal products like eggs and cheese), and does occasionally cringe when someone else brings up the subject of eating meat in her presence. However, she doesn't try to force her beliefs on others, stating in book 4 that "I don't expect everybody to feel the way I do about animals", and will help prepare meat dishes for her family. She also isn't opposed to animals eating meat when it's in their species' nature.

* UnexpectedInheritance: When elderly Mr. Roy Miller suddenly dies in book 12, he leaves his pride and joy - his six-year-old chestnut mare Dancer (and her bridle, saddle and horse blanket) - to Val, much to her surprise. Roy Junior, who inherited everything else (and plans to sell the family farm and move to New York), explains that his father knew how much Val loved horses (and Junior himself doesn't much care for them), and wanted to make sure Dancer went to a good home.
* WeddingFinale: The GrandFinale sees Doc and Mrs. Sparks marrying, holding a small ceremony in the Taylor family living room (despite the efforts of the mayor, who wants to turn the entire thing into a big to-do because of Doc being one of the family's most respected citizens) and the reception at Miss Maggie Rafferty's estate.
* WeNamedTheMonkeyJack: A friendly version with two of Harvey (a female rabbit)'s babies, who are named for people that their owner Jake knows - Doc and Valentine (the last was Jake's brother Toby's idea).

* YourTomcatIsPregnant: In book 1, Val meets Toby Curran when he brings Harvey, his little brother Jake's rabbit, to Animal Inn, thinking he's sick - he hasn't been eating right (but is looking pretty fat), and has started pulling out his fur. Val, hearing the symptoms, deduces that Harvey is in fact a pregnant doe, something her father confirms, and the rabbit gives birth to a litter of six late in the book.

* WeddingDay: The GrandFinale sees Doc and Mrs. Sparks marrying, holding a small ceremony in the Taylor family living room (despite the efforts of the mayor, who wants to turn the entire thing into a big to-do because of Doc being one of the family's most respected citizens) and the reception at Miss Maggie Rafferty's estate.

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Val's rabbits are named [[ShoutOutThemeNaming Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail]]... and Sam.

* YourTomcatIsPregnant: In the second book, Toby Curran's little brother Jake is mentioned as having a rabbit named Harvey, whom they discovered to be a doe when she gave birth to a litter of six.

* ShoutOut:
** Teddy's temporary ferret Frank is explicitly named for [[Series/{{MASH}} Major Frank Burns]] (AKA "Ferret-face").
** Jake Curran's rabbit Harvey has six babies, four of whom are named for fictional characters - [[Literature/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan, Jane]], [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]. The last two are named for people that Jake knows - Doc and Valentine (the last was Toby's idea).

** Teddy's temporary ferret Frank is explicitly named for [[Series/{{MASH}} Major Frank Burns]] (AKA "Ferret-face").
** Jake Curran's rabbit Harvey has six babies, four of whom fall under this trope - [[Literature/{{Tarzan}} Tarzan, Jane]], [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] and [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]. The last two are named for people that Jake knows - Doc and Valentine (the last was Toby's idea).

* UnexpectedInheritance: When elderly Mr. Roy Miller suddenly dies in book 12, he leaves his pride and joy - his six-year-old chestnut mare Dancer (and her bridle, saddle and horse blanket) - to Val, much to her surprise. Roy Junior, who inherited everything else (and plans to sell the family farm and move to New York), explains that his father knew how much Val loved horses, and wanted to make sure Dancer went to a good home.