The first time I read this book, I cried at some parts. It's about a girl who has an alcoholic step-dad and a work-aholic mom. She feels so alone, she steals something, gets caught, and winds up doing community work at a local animal shelter. She falls in love with a dog, and since she wants it to have a home, but can't keep it herself, she wants to surprise the shelter workers by giving it a home, as the statistics for animals getting homes are awful. It's a REALLY good book. I recommend this book to every pet lover in the world!