Bill Potter, once a hardworking railroad engineer, has fallen on hard times. Despite being disabled from an accident that robbed him of a life free of pain, Bill never forgets to give thanks, even for his meager meals. Without any friends but Tim, a neighborhood boy with a big heart, the old man realizes he is growing tired of his challenges in life and contemplates suicide. But all of that is about to change the day Tim leads Bill to an injured stray dog lying in an alley, seemingly left for dead.

After Bill summons help from a police officer, he and the officer take the dog to a vet,...