Gone Dog

Puppins, a rescued black Labrador retriever, narrates his own bittersweet tale in this canine coming-of-age story. Puppins lives in Los Angeles with his adoptive "mom," Kristin. She's a twenty-something workaholic, too busy to give Puppins the attention he deserves, and she has way too many rules. Puppins, a teen (in human years), is bored. Where's the fabled drama that L.A. is noted for?

Enter Ruby, an Irish setter born to run. Ruby lives on the backstreets of L.A. She is all about being free -- no owners, no leashes, no rules. When she dares Puppins to jump the fence and follow her, he does.

Bad choice. An out-of-shape dog with a Velcro heart, clueless about how to survive on his own, is no match for cool, streetwise, Teflon-coated Ruby. Puppins gets ghosted. Brokenhearted, lost and alone, his courage goes into "fail" mode and he narrowly escapes death.

Some truths gradually emerge: Freedom has a definite downside. Being homeless is harsh, no matter what species you are. And it's actually possible for an ordinary dog, with the help of a few unlikely friends, not only to survive but to make a difference.

Final lessons learned: A badly shattered heart really can be mended. And even though the place you reach is not the one you left, it just may be the perfect home for you.

GONE DOG has a diverse cast of characters, human as well as animals. Among the latter: Oliver, a pranking feral cat who is Puppins' BFF; Mariah, an ex-racing greyhound, head of a sanctuary for lost and abandoned pets; a disabled terrier named Felicity, the brave survivor of a puppy mill; Loofah, a tiny bichon befriended by an elderly homeless woman; and Pepito and his flock, wild parakeets who may or may not be undocumented immigrants.