 Narrator and protagonist Marty Preston lives in the hills of Friendly , West Virginia . After finding an abused beagle owned by his brutal neighbor Judd Travers , Marty defies his society 's standards of not meddling with each other 's business . Marty resolves to steal and hide the dog , naming him Shiloh and fabricating a web of lies to keep his secret . After his theft is discovered , Marty discovers Judd shooting a deer out of season and blackmails him into selling Shiloh to him . Because he lacks the money to buy Shiloh , Marty resolutely works for Judd doing numerous chores . 
