SOLVED. A story about a boy and his pit bull. [s]

[Nicole]

I read a children's middle-grade book between 8-10 years ago about a boy, whose mother was, I believe, dead and his father was neglectful to the point of being abusive. One day his father brings him home a pit bull puppy, who the boy loves. The puppy is sweet and protective, and having her at home makes him much more enthusiastic and excited, and he starts to do better in school.

One day, his father makes an aggressive/threatening move in the direction of the boy, and the dog puts herself in between them, snarling at the father who she sees as a threat to her boy. Angry that the dog would growl at him and believing this makes her dangerous the father takes her away and abandons her. The boy stops doing well in school.

Meanwhile the dog, though lonely and missing her boy, has managed to make herself noticeable to two other people. A girl with a terminal illness who rides the train back and forth from the hospital daily, begins throwing the dog a sandwich on her way home, and an old lady living alone. One day the old-lady's house catches fire, and the dog misses catching the sandwich because she goes to save the lady.

I remember there being a sort of chase scene at the end where the dog ends up in a water tank and her boy saves her.

There was also a sub-plot where the town was trying put a law through to make pit bulls illegal, and put all the pit bulls down, and in the end, because of the pit bull saving the old lady it was softened so they just had to wear a muzzle in public.

[Angela]

Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee?

[Nicole]

Yes that's right! The version I read had a different cover, but I thought it was very good. Thank you!