Todd McCray (Fisher), a responsible and developmentally challenged 20-year-old, lives on a farm in Kansas with his loving parents, George (Greenwood) and Mary Ann (Emond). Both Mary Ann and George are forever inspired and impressed by the upbeat Todd, who assists with numerous chores on the farm and is known for regularly rescuing and nursing wounded wild animals back to health. George often describes Todd as having "his own way of thinking about things." However, Todd's way of thinking ends up clashing with George's when a radio promotion for the local animal shelter's first-ever "Adopt a Dog for Christmas Program" - which entails caring for a dog during Christmas week, with the option of keeping the dog for good - creates a keen desire in Todd to adopt a lonely pup for the holiday.