After his boyfriend moves out of state without telling him, Jay wants only to indulge in a weekend of drunken self-pity. Before he can get started, though, he is rescued by a stray dog.While obtaining the necessary food and supplies he needs to take care of the dog, named Scratch, he meets Richard, a veterinary student. Better still, Richard offers to meet up to talk to him about caring for a dog.Lessons in taking care of a dog lead to lessons Jay never expected, but Jay isn't the only one with a sour past, and all the two men hope to learn from and with each other may be cut all too short.