Twenty years into the dismal but somewhat precious future, Japan is beset by the most adorable plague on record — there's just too many dogs. They're crowding the streets, choking the alleyways, and really annoying the cat people. But an outbreak of dog flu gives the anti-dog mayor of Megasaki an opening to do something about the problem, and all dogs are ordered quarantined to Trash Island, a freestanding landfill off the coast where the canine population is left to fend for themselves. Not everyone agrees with this plan, of course; one young man refuses to let go of his lost, beloved pet and makes a pilgrimage to and across the new Isle of Dogs, accompanied by a loyal team of furry pals he meets along the way. Can they fight the power of an entire government to reunite with his friend?