Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield and Burl Ives star in this American drama directed by Samuel Fuller. When young actress Julie (McNichol) unwittingly runs over a white Alsation one night, she panics and takes the animal to the vet. While trying to find the stray dog's owners Julie takes him home with her where he proves useful as he fends off an attack from a rapist. Suspecting that something is not quite right with the dog, Julie takes it to a specialist trainer where she learns that the dog has been trained to attack black people. Can Julie and the trainer reprogramme the dog into being the loving family pet he once was?