Orphaned after his mother's death, ten-year-old Billy flees his home to avoid being placed in an unwanted foster home. While he yearns to belong to someone, Billy ends up on the porch of his surprised and destitute relatives in Salinas, California. He hopes they will become his foster parents. But how can relatives with limited means qualify to be foster parents?

Meanwhile, Buddy, a one-year-old puppy, escapes from his owner's abusive son. Buddy dodges coyotes, a dog-fighting ring, and the local dogcatcher as he wanders the streets of Salinas in search of human love. A heartwarming story about love and belonging, Puppy Dog Tales alternates between Billy's and Buddy's perspectives, putting the reader at the heart of the action in this adventurous tale of survival.