Avery "Ave" Ludlow has a dog named Red, a gift from his late wife, Mary, for his 50th birthday. One day, he is fishing at a lake with Red by his side when three boys come across his path: the brothers Danny and Harold McCormack, and their friend Pete Doust. Danny intimidates Ave with a shotgun and tells him to give them all his money. When Avery tells them that he has only $30, Danny becomes furious and kills Red.