In April, 1986, three kilometers away from the Chernobyl explosion in the town of Pripyat, all humans were forced to evacuate and leave behind their beloved pets. The Dogs of Pripyat is the story of those pets, and one in particular: Boychik, a sweet love of a lap dog who must rise to the occasion without his people.

Days after all residents have evacuated Pripyat, a tyrannical buffoon of a Rottweiler and his alpha queen, a pageant poodle, seize power and form a pack. But Boychik naively waits for his humans at home, refusing to join the pack. Ninotchka, a cat who won't take no for an answer, has been watching him and she can’t take it. Boychik becomes her pet project. Powerless to her charm, Boychik gives in, grows up, and ultimately becomes the alpha he’s destined to be.

Down the road from the animals live two old peasants who defy government orders and stay in Pripyat. Stubborn and salty, they cling tight to their land and wait for the unlikely return of their son. As food becomes scarcer and winter looms, these stories intertwine and a new family is formed. The Dogs of Pripyat is a story of hope and survival under unimaginable circumstances, and the desire inside all of us to continue to loving, even when living seems least possible.