The family lives close to a mean man. The man likes to hunt, but also likes to bully the kids and dogs and accuse them of doing anything that negatively affects them. He chains his dogs and is distraught when they attack others and have to be tested for rabies. One day he gets in a big drunk-driving car crash. Shiloh the dog helps notify everyone so he can get rescued. We learn that he had grown up in a horrible family with plenty of beating going on. We also learn that one of the kids had seen the man do illegal hunting. The family decides to try to support the man as he recovers, even if they don't really like him.
The book identifies some of the trials of modern rural America. The dogs play a role, but it is mostly about the relationships with the others. The narration has a bit of a drawl that takes some getting used to.
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