Snitter and Rowf, escapees from a vivisection lab, make for the desolate heaths and the windy countryside of England's Lake District. There, aided by a crafty fox, they raid chicken coops, kill sheep and forage for sustenance. They hide in abandoned caves and mine shafts.

Local farmers, incensed by their losses, set traps and organize hunts. A reporter announces that Snitter and Rowf may be carrying bubonic plague. Panic follows. The hunt intensifies, driving the dogs deeper into a wilderness bereft of hope.

"Part marvelous adventure, part diatribe against those who torture animals. An excellent drama." (Newsweek)

• fantasytalking animals