For years, ten-year-old Zelly Fried has tried to convince her parents to let her have a dog. After all, practically everyone in Vermont owns a dog, and it sure could go a long way toward helping Zelly fit in after moving there from Brooklyn. But when her eccentric grandfather. Ace, hatches a ridiculous plan involving a "practice dog" named O.J., Zelly's not sure how far she's willing to go to win a dog of her own. Is Ace's plan so crazy it just might work... or is it just plain crazy?