Scarred by the rejection & humiliation which he suffers at the hands of his unloving father the young Denis OConnor finds solace in the woods & riverbanks of his native Northumberl&. Nevertheless his newly found happiness communing with nature & the local animals
- a neighbours violent dog an untamed horse a wounded goose & a white cat called Brumas
- is severely tested when he finds his pet dog has been put down. This tragic incident almost results in Denis own death but for the timely intervention of a strangers golden retriever which saves his life. As he grows older Denis begins to unravel the dark secret of his own origins & uncovers the mystery as why he was so tormented. Paw Tracks" is a searingly honest account of how the power of nature can lift the human spirit & overcome the most unloving of childhoods."