Two women, Emily and Rachel, live in the city of Toronto. They lead completely different lives. Emily lives a happy life with her husband, Ross, whom she loves dearly. He has a son named Joey, who runs away and darts between interstate cars. To keep him safe, she ties him to a tree in the backyard like a dog. She sees it as a way to prevent her from running away, as he loves it outside and hates it in the house. They have a very messy home and are constantly adopting pets to sell. When they are not sold, her husband kills them. He justifies his killings by saying that he grew up on a farm, and that dying of animals was a constant part of life. Emily wants nothing more than to please him, so she accepts the behavior.
Rachel has a different life. She also has a son who has behavioral problems, which she solves by sticking to a video game in hand. Emily had a troubled childhood and was neglected by her mother. The two women meet when Rachel comes to Emily's house to buy a new puppy for their children. Rachel's children beg her to adopt, but after seeing Joey out the window tied to a tree, Rachel decides against it and abruptly leaves. To save her husband from killing the puppy, Emily later leaves him in a nearby corn field to die.
