Because of Winn-Dixie

The preacher and Opal soon discover that Winn-Dixie does not like being left alone—not even when he is tied up in the yard. After an incident involving loud howling in the trailer park, Opal and the preacher begin taking Winn-Dixie everywhere they go, including to church. Opal reflects: “I could understand the way Winn-Dixie felt. Getting left behind probably made his heart feel empty” (32). The preacher’s church is in an old Pick-it-Quick store, and it looks quite unconventional. The first day Winn-Dixie comes to church, the preacher ties him up outside, but Winn-Dixie interrupts the sermon with his howling. Winn-Dixie is allowed inside, but then disrupts again when he catches a mouse in his mouth in the middle of a prayer. The mouse is still alive, so the preacher removes it from the church, and everyone claps. Afterward, Opal prays for her mother to return so she can tell her the story of Winn-Dixie and the mouse. She also prays for friends.

Opal finds a comfortable place to pass the time at the local library. She leaves Winn-Dixie outside, because no dogs are allowed. Winn-Dixie does not mind, because he can look in the windows at Opal.