One day an abandoned puppy appears in Sally and Bobby's front yard. They agree to try to find its previous owners or to place it somewhere. They think of themselves as kind, caring people. Bobby puts up signs, and the two of them go about their lives as lawyers (Bobby) and fundraisers for progressive issues (Sally). The presence of the puppy seems to cause Sally some extra stress on top of her already difficult career, despite Bobby's sense that she doesn't truly care about the puppy's fate. In fact, the puppy seems to elicit strange reflections on fate, the past, their marriage, and Bobby's perception of his own morals. The couple tries to find someone to take the puppy. They feed it in the meantime, but finally take it to an animal shelter.
Through all of this, Bobby recalls Sally's affair. They have never spoken about it, despite the fact that Bobby hired a private investigator to confirm its truth. He often notes Sally's privileged, conservative upbringing in the South and reflects on what kind of person he himself is. Bobby is often preoccupied with thoughts of the puppy at the shelter, but on the final day that the shelter can keep the puppy, Bobby forgets about it entirely. He is instead preoccupied with thoughts of Sally's affair. Bobby is sorry to find that he never cared about the puppy as much as he told himself he did.