A dress that may have been worn by one of the girls after Sra. Fernandez helped them financially.
The first scene opens in a family room that depicts a lower class life. The main characters are the girls of the family, Dora, Micaela, and Sara. They have taken most of the responsibility for the economic needs of the family, each girl having a job that pays well enough for the fatherless-family to manage. The eldest brother, Lorenzo, squanders the family money, which is a problem that Sara and Micaela try to reason is not helpful. A neighbor, Carmen, enters and strikes a conversation about the situation of the people that had lived in the house before them. She mentions that a woman, Senora Fernandez, helped the woman and her brother find better jobs and achieve a better lifestyle. It’s only moments later that Senora Fernandez enters their life when she hits the youngest brother, Raulito, with her car. The act closes with Carmen saying that the girls are lucky that they have caught the attention of the “pet” of the neighborhood.
Act two opens in the same house, but the environment has changed to have the appearance of an upper middle class home with nicer and more furniture, a piano and decorations. The girls wear nice dresses and spend weekends in Tigre with Senora Fernandez. Rodolfo, who is in love with Sara, is suspicious of the activities that Senora Fernandez is doing with the girls. It is revealed that the girls have gotten involved with prostitution and now lead a life of frivolous parties and scandalous activities. Dr. Oribe is introduced and begins flirting with Dora, even though he is dating Sara. He is toying with the sisters, pitting the girls against one another on Senora Fernandez’s orders. Sara reveals that she thinks she is pregnant, and Oribe freaks out an insists that it can be fixed. Sara is appalled that Oribe does not love her and becomes upset when he suggests that they go to Senora Fernandez to get rid of the baby.
The third act begins with a doctor named Costa who is worried because he has gotten Laura, a woman who works for Senora Fernandez, pregnant. Costa is overwhelmed because he has a wife and daughter. Costa gives 20,000 pesos to keep Laura quiet about the pregnancy and avoid scandal. Later, Oribe shows up to see Dora. Senora Fernandez tells him to leave because if Sara sees them in her condition it will be bad. Oribe gets mad and says it was Senora Fernandez’s idea for him to cheat anyways. Renata, an orphan that Senora Fernandez took in out of charity, overhears Oribe making a phone call and becomes worried. She tells him to leave and leave all the girls alone. Renata is ill and it is assumed it’s because she took medication to end her pregnancy. Renata states that Senora Fernandez never cared about her well-being she only cared about her being alive to make profit off of her. Senora Fernandez then begins to strangle Renata. Oribe and Sara had been arguing in another room, but Sara walks in on Senora Fernandez strangling Renata and that’s when a gunshot can be heard. Senora Fernandez is shot and begins to die while Sara looks at her and says “Die you viper.”
“The Pet of the Neighborhood” was performed 52 times and tied for he 38th most popular play.