When it comes to Melanie Travis’s love life, feast or
famine is apparently the order of the day. First, there’s
ex-husband Bob, who, having been bumped to purely platonic
status, seems intent on overcompensating by presenting
their son Davey with outrageously extravagant gifts. True,
every kid wants a pony—but how many kids actually get one
delivered to their front door? Then there’s former fiancé
Sam. He’s finally “found” himself, and, in the process,
has discovered that he wants Melanie back—now. The
question is, does she still want him?
In an effort to escape tail-chasing males, Melanie opts to
track down the elusive owner of an adorable Dachshund
puppy that’s about to be put on the block at a charity
auction. Aunt Peg proclaims it an outrage that anyone
would be uncaring enough to sell off a helpless animal to
the highest bidder, and Melanie agrees wholeheartedly.
She, Davey, and her prize-winning Poodles are more than
willing to take little Dox in as a temporary boarder. But
the more she discovers about the pup’s background, the
messier the case gets.
It seems the wiener dog is part of a divorced couple’s
emotional tug-o-war. Marian Firth, who bred Dox, is
certainly concerned for his welfare. Unfortunately, her
vindictive ex-husband, George, won custody—and is going
out of his way to use the animal as ammunition. George
knows that donating the dog to the auction will hurt
Marian—and only he can rescind the offer.
As if tiptoeing through the minefield of a broken marriage
isn’t nerve-wracking enough, there’s also Melanie’s new
stalker—or stalkers—to deal with. The obvious pair is
pesky local television reporter Jill Prescott and her
cameraman, Rich, who figure that Melanie’s nose for
trouble will lead them to the next Big Story. Everywhere
she turns, they seem to turn up. It’s annoying, but what’s
truly frightening is the presence of someone stealthier—
and far more sinister. Someone who’s gotten into her house
at night and turned on every single light in the place;
someone who’s stolen her wallet, and let her dogs loose in
the neighborhood. Someone who's dognapped Dox.
With the doggy abduction and her son's safety on her mind,
Melanie is determined to clear things up as soon as
possible. But new suspects keep coming out of the
woodwork, including Phil, the dogsitting client with a
penchant for “watching,” and Jean and Mike Azaria, a pair
of Bichon breeders who are furious at Melanie because of a
favor gone awry. As things grow more desperate—and
dangerous—it's beginning to look like Melanie’s life may
be the next thing up for auction…