Jo wants a dog more than anything else in the world but her mum and dad think that it will be just too much mess and too much bother. And, besides, they have something much more exciting on the way - a baby! So, instead, Jo looks after the rabbits from school, collects ants and adopts a newt. But they're still not the same as a dog. It's not until Grandma comes along with a whole new perspective that Mum and Dad start to see things differently. Who knows, maybe Jo will get her dream dog after all.