 Janus Zayukovsky, a.k.a. The Gypsy, is a reformed thief. However his dog, Raffles, isn t so reformed. Raffles snatches a purse and Janus pays the price by being hauled off the jail. While Janus is behind bars, Raffles is off to fend for himself. He comes across the sisters and the children on an outing, the sisters who take him back to the convent since he has bonded with loner child Jamie. They feel that Raffles can help Jamie get out of his shell, and the Reverend Mother agrees, temporarily lifting the no animal policy at the convent. But Raffles shows his true colors to the sisters by snatching wallet after purse after briefcase. In their delivery of the purses back to their rightful owners, the sisters have a close encounter of the uncomfortable kind with a police officer, this encounter giving Raffles the opportunity to transfer the purses from the sisters  station wagon into the officer s patrol car. Sisters Bertrille and Jacqueline want to rehabilitate Raffles, but the Reverend Mother disagrees, and decides that Raffles needs to be sent to the pound pending his rightful owner contacting them within the next couple of days. Just as they are ready to send Raffles to the pound, Janus is released from jail and sees the ad the sisters have placed regarding Raffles. However when Janus gets to the convent, Jamie has run off with Raffles. But Sister Bertrille knows where to find him - in his "safe place" on the beach. The sisters tell Jamie that Janus has come to reclaim him and that they, the kids included, are going to help Janus reform Raffles. Janus ends up getting a nice place and good job and the reformation of Raffles from stealing purses and wallets, with the help of Jamie, is going well. Unfortunately Raffles has moved onto hubcaps and car curb feelers instead. The reformation will take some more work.