When Patrick sees a wriggling bag in the canal on his way to school, something compels him to jump in and retrieve it Inside is a litter of greyhound puppies, cruelly left to drown He falls in love with the smallest one, a beautiful fawn puppy and after a protracted battle with his parents, he is allowed to take him home Patrick and his puppy become inseparable until one day the dog is stolen by a greyhound trainer, where he begins a new life as a racing champion