Poppy the staffordshire bull terrier and her owner, Ed, have spent years living on the streets of London, battling the elements and fighting to survive. But when Ed suffers a seizure, he is rushed to hospital in an ambulance, and Poppy is taken into emergency foster care.
Three months later, mother and businesswoman Michelle Clark meets Ed at a memorial for rough sleepers who have lost their lives. There, she learns of Ed's months-long search for his beloved Poppy, walking the streets to find her. To Ed's astonishment, after just a few phone calls, Michelle finds the shelter where Poppy is, and the pair are reunited.
But the long months of searching for his dog have taken a major toll on Ed's health, and despite his initial joy at being back together with Poppy, it is clear to Michelle that Ed doesn't stand a chance of surviving on London's cold streets in the harshest months of winter. Reluctantly, Ed agrees to seek treatment, but only on the condition that Michelle care for his beloved Poppy.
Michelle agrees, and as she gets to know Poppy better, she learns more about the extraordinary relationship between street dogs and their owners. These dogs provide a lifeline - a reason to get up each morning, a reason to keep going, and a constant companion against the isolation, loneliness and cruelty of living on the streets.
Determined to make a difference to Poppy and the hundreds of dogs like her, Michelle begins to campaign, and the charity DOTS is born.
