Based on the true story of Lindy Chamberlain who, during a family camping trip to Ayers Rock in central Australia, claimed she witnessed a dingo take her baby daughter, Azaria, from their tent. Azaria's body was never found and, after investigations and two public inquests, she is charged with murder.
Hardened prosecutor Asta Cadell leaves home for a road trip down the coast of Australia. But Cadell's relaxing ride turns tense when her motorcycle malfunctions and she makes a pit stop in a remote town. Cadell meets teen Elizabeth Curtis, who confides that she has just been raped, and Cadell helps the young woman report the crime to the authorities. When police corruption stands in the way of justice, she takes matters into her own hands.
The eponymous Dusty is an appropriately named dingo, or wild dog. Roaming the fertile fields of Australia, Dusty is captured as a puppy. Though dingoes are normally averse to human companionship, Dusty attaches himself to an old, worn-out shepherd, played by Bill Kerr. The dog gives Kerr a reason for living, and vice versa. Be sure to have plenty of Kleenex handy for some of the mistier passages of Dusty.