When Opal (AnnaSophia Robb) goes to the local Winn-Dixie, she comes home with something that wasn't on her shopping list. She brings back the big, dirty dog that was running amok in the market. Having just moved to the small town with her preacher father (Jeff Daniels), the young girl is lonely and unsure of herself. Her father reluctantly agrees to the dog on a temporary basis. Opal names him Winn-Dixie after the store. Through the dog, Opal meets some of the people in town. Among them is Gloria (Cicely Tyson), a blind recluse that helps the young Opal deal with questions she has about her mother and why she ran out on her and her father. As a result, Opal's father has to deal with his feelings and the father and daughter are drawn closer.