Four feral puppies lose their mother. One puppy, Lyra, is with her mother at the end. She promises to look after her sisters and keep the family together. Aided by two older dogs, they try to survive in a suburban city, hunting mice and staying away from wheelers. But life is tough in a world filled with other hungry urban creatures: raccoons, cats, skunks and especially packs of coyotes who seem to claim every possible hunting ground. And most frightening of all are looker-grabbers, the tall creatures that took their mommy. As the puppies grow and their lives change, can Lyra keep her commitment? The only way, it seems, is to become smart and strong enough to cross a busy highway so they can reach a storied land of abundance, where "squirrels fall from trees."