Margaret is being torn apart. Her father and brothers are cruel to her pets-Mack, Red, and Pretty Girl, and they treat her with the same cold-heartedness. Her mother understands her love and affection toward the abused pets, but most of the time, she is unable to protect Margaret and her pets from the harsh treatment. Margaret is only happy when she is with her grandparents, who share her love and affection for pets. One summer vacation, Margaret stayed at her grandparents' farm and made lasting friendship with another dog named Hobo. But on that summer too, Margaret's grandpa died, adding to the mounting pain in the little girl's heart. Due to her father's indifference toward her dogs, Margaret's pets died one after another, either due to extreme heat or extreme cold. For many nights, Margaret would see ghostly apparitions of the dogs as she mourned for their loss. Though she wasn't scared, she never understood why. The Ghost of the Mistreated Canines refreshes our understanding of true love-the kind of love that Margaret shows toward her canine friends, who cannot pay her with material gifts but give her everlasting joy and friendship.