Marty finds a dog named Shiloh in West Virginia and tries to convince his father to let him keep it. They discover the dog may belong to their neighbor, who has a reputation for being unpleasant and mistreating animals. Marty and his sisters are worried about Shiloh's condition and behavior, which suggests it has not been treated well. Marty wants to train and care for Shiloh to make it a healthy dog.