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…