I read one volume of this series and enjoyed it, so I went back to Borders to see if I could score any more while their closeout sale lasts. Turns out today was the 90%-off day and I picked up four more volumes - just ahead of somebody who cleared out the entire manga shelves! The series is about the employees of a pet shop, and deals with all aspects of living with and caring for dogs...

This one's got Kishu dogs on the covers.

This volume picks up with the very disturbing character who appeared at the end of Volume 14, a man whose idea of "ridding the world of unhappy pets" is to use a knife {shudder}. Fortunately, the police catch the criminal - but poor Suguri has learned yet again that there are people out there who can't be trusted. And now how's she to find a good home for Hinomaru, the mixed-breed dog who's similar to her own beloved Lupin? And if she can't find him a good home, how can she continue to ask for permission to breed Lupin? Much as she wants to see his puppies, it would be no good if they can't find safe homes.

Then it appears that Suguri's found the perfect home - until a dangerous situation occurs and the family returns the dog... This whole arc (which turns out well, thank goodness!) focuses on the responsibilities of caring for a pet, especially one that has had a traumatic past. It's one of many examples in this series of responsible pet ownership.

The drama of Hinomaru's situation hasn't dissuaded Suguri from wanting Lupin's puppies, so she decides to pay a visit home and ask some questions about Lupin's parentage. While she's there, she spots Lupin's double, and finds that her dog has quite a few relatives in her old home town - including some linking him back to his grandfather, the dog that saved Suguri from kidnapping as a child. But there's something disturbing going on; is it possible that the kidnapper still lives in the area??

Things get pretty creepy pretty fast, with Suguri being way too trusting for her own good - and the story ends with a shocking scene that will make you want to dive into Volume 16 immediately!

[There's a TV Tropes page here with entertaining info - but do watch out for spoilers.]

I plan to trade this in to the used-manga shelf at Harrisons Comics for credit with which to buy more manga (of course!). Hope the buyer enjoys the book!

*** Released for the 2014 E-less Challenge, for books with no "E" in the title. ***