Documentaries Related to Spay or Neutering

RescueME - A Dogumentary --

About the Film
After learning that over 20,000 animals are euthanized in Austin, Texas every year, Stacy Schoolfield volunteered to foster abandoned animals in her home. This film chronicles her experience, taking viewers straight to the heart of pet overpopulation’s causes and complexities and examines the costs to individuals and the community. "Rescue Me" invites viewers to meet rescue volunteers, learn what motivates and challenges them, and experience the highs and lows of volunteering – from the satisfaction of matching a foster animal with an adoptive family to the disturbing numbers of adoptable companion animals killed every day due to overpopulation. The subjects, including writer-songwriter-politician Kinky Friedman, all speak to the societal costs of our “disposable” culture’s lack of stewardship toward animals. They point out, that fixing the problem of pet overpopulation and abandonment is bigger than one volunteer, or a small army of volunteers can fix.
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Shleter Dogs --

Each day, hundreds of thousands of stray and unwanted dogs are born around the world. How society should care for these homeless animals -- many of whom end up at animal shelters -- is a controversial topic with significant humanitarian and public health implications.

At one rural animal shelter in upstate New York, founder Sue Sternberg and her staff respond to this crisis -- one animal at a time. As a seemingly endless stream of homeless dogs arrives at their doorstep, Sternberg and her staff navigate a world in which there are no simple solutions, and where decisions are often of a life-and-death nature.

Some of the dogs are immediately placed in wonderful, permanent homes. But there are also troubling moral dilemmas surrounding some of the "gray area" dogs. If a dog bites a shelter worker, is it ethical to adopt him out to the general public? If a dog guards his food, can he be trusted in a family with children? And what about the dogs that never find homes -- is it more humane to sentence them to a lifetime in the shelter or to euthanize them?

Filmed and edited over the course of three years, this award-winning documentary provides a fresh, provocative look at the complex, morally ambiguous world of animal sheltering. With breathtaking footage of the Catskill Mountain region, deeply intimate scenes, and a gripping exploration of real-world ethical choices, it is certain to move both dog lovers and the general public alike.
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Born To Die --

Set in Las Vegas, Born to Die presents an overview of the tragic problem of pet overpopulation. The film features the work of two animal rescue groups, Las Vegas Valley Humane Society and Heaven Can Wait Sanctuary, and their combined efforts to put a stop the explosive pet overpopulation.

The film includes segments on Shelter, as well as "The Big Fix" and "Ground Zero", programs that cater to low income residents, offering them free pet spay/neuter and vaccinations. In the city shelter, an impounded dog is allowed a total of 6 days before it is put down to make room for the next incoming dog. Shelter workers and euthanasia technicians discuss the difficult euthanasia process, and its emotional toll on animals and workers.

The most recent version of Born to Die is approximately 20 minutes long, It has shown at 6 film festivals and won three awards. In its present form, it focuses mostly on the solutions for the pet overpopulation. The whole point of the video is to inspire pet owners to spay and neuter their animals.

This is filmmaker Joanie Spina's first film. She shot and edited the film with the cooperation of Heaven Can Wait and Humane Society volunteers.
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"Dr. Death" --

5-10 million animals are killed annually in the U.S,. because there are no homes for them. "Doctor Death" offers the reflections of a veterinarian and a euthanasia technician about their 3 years at a local animal shelter in Las Vegas. The film focuses on their experiences of putting down adoptable animals.

Dr. David Henderson and Ms. Gabriele Radford somberly look at the many animals who are destroyed as a result of irresponsible pet owners and breeders. Graphic images may not be appropriate for children as we watch the process of animals being euthanized at the shelter. It is meant to provoke a strong emotional response to motivate people to take action.
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Humane Society Silicon Valley Documentary on Homeless Cats to Air
on Two Bay Area Television Stations

SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 14, 2006 – Humane Society Silicon
Valley (HSSV)’s powerful documentary on homeless cats in
Santa Clara County will air on two Bay Area television stations
this summer. The film titled “Cats Without a Home,” will be
shown on KTEH Public Television Monday, July 17 at 10:30
pm. NBC11 will air the film on Saturday, July 29 at 11:30 am,
Sunday, July 30 at 10:30 am and Saturday, Aug. 5 at 11 am.
A trailer of the film can be accessed at:
http://www.catswithoutahome.com.

“The goal of this documentary is to raise public awareness
about homeless cats and inspire people to care,” said HSSV
President Christine Benninger.

The 30-minute documentary powerfully weaves the plight of homeless cats in Santa Clara
County by following six individuals who are committed to reducing the unnecessary
euthanasia of homeless cats.

“We shot the film over an eight month period, and it truly
became a labor of love,” said Todd Lehr, videographer and
editor for Jump Cutters Video. “We wanted to introduce
viewers to the secret world of homeless cats and bring to
light the painful reality shelter workers and the community
endure when a homeless cat not suitable for adoption is
euthanized,” Lehr explained. “We show the joys, sorrows
and reality of this pervasive problem. At the same time,
we think people will feel inspired to make a difference.”
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Cats Without a Home

This 30-minute documentary powerfully weaves the plight of homeless cats in Santa Clara County by following six individuals who are committed to reducing the unnecessary euthanasia of homeless cats. The filmmakers introduce viewers to the secret world of homeless cats and bring to light the painful reality shelter workers and the community endure when a homeless cat not suitable for adoption is euthanized.

"The film shows the joys, sorrows and reality of this pervasive problem but leaves viewers inspired to make a difference," Todd Lehr, Jump Cutters Video
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Urban Rescuers

Synopsis
Astonishingly, nearly 4 million stray or feral cats inhabit the streets, parks, back alleys and backyards of Los Angeles County, and they are reproducing at an alarming rate. The current solution is round-up and kill. But is there a better way? Urban Rescuers profiles a group of fiercely dedicated animal welfare crusaders in Los Angeles who skirt the law in order to rescue feral cats from the certain death they face upon landing in animal shelters. The methodology involves a controversial solution for feral cats known as "TNR" (trap, neuter, return), which calls for sterilizing these animals and then allowing them to live out their lives in the wild.

As the TNR process is revealed, passionate and surprising arguments on both sides of the issue are heard from the heads of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the Feral Cat Alliance, the Los Angeles SPCA, and the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation, among others. The documentary shows that TNR is legal in other communities where it works efficiently, within the system. As we investigate, Los Angeles officials are asked to adopt the policy. Urban Rescuers is a thought-provoking journey of ethics, featuring big personalities and stunning footage of feral cats in Southern California.
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Dealing Dogs

Each year, 42,000 dogs are sold to veterinary schools and research labs by Class B dealers, who are required by federal law to buy the animals from pounds, shelters and small breeders and to treat them humanely. However, many Class B dealers violate the law. DEALING DOGS exposes the abuses that took place at one of America's most notorious Class B dealers - Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas.
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Project update

Our production meeting last night was extreemly helpful. We adjusted the scope of what we intend to accomplish and came up with a new set of goals. Although we would all like to have a completed project to take with us at the end of the semester, the production program is organized in a way that does not allow for flexibility as far as curriculum is concerned. The hope is that the in depth instruction on research and pre-production will lead to more inclusive footage.

Every 3 Seconds

Spay-Neuter Month

Get your government to pay for spaying and neutering.

To HD or not to HD?

http://www.sonyhdvinfo.com/article.php?filename=Why-Shoot-HD-

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/digital-cameras/sony-intros-hvrv1u-hdv-pro-camcorder-filmmakers-ogle-its-24pness-201756.php

http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?id=85966

Production Meeting

We had a great production meeting today, and now have a very specific project to work on. We also were able to get our hands on the equipment we're going to be using for our shoots. Technically our goal is to capture the best image and sound with the least amount of equipment possible. We'll be shooting street interviews next Saturday which we will need thus requiring different equipment than when we goto PETA and shoot an interview. Next weekend will be an outdoor daytime shoot. We'll need the Panasonic DVX100, two batteries, flex fill, glidecam, lapel mic, handheld mic, and shotgun mic. Depending on the circumstance the shotgun mic may work better than the handheld, regardless our interviewer will still have their personal lapel mic. We don't have a production schedule planned, however we have committed to weekly production meetings outside of class. It will be difficult to stay focused on our specific topic since there are so many contributing factors to the pet over population crisis.

It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong. -- H. Longfellow


The Dom

VIRUS!!!

Aaaahh. So for the past seven days I've been crippled by a rotten virus which first attacked my throat, then my sinusus, and has finally moved it's way into both of my eyes. So, with eyes as fiery as the devils, we shall press on. Both Melanie and myself have emailed Cesar, and I'm pretty curious what his response will be. Class tonight will be good, if I can keep my eyes open. I found an article in the Star News (article by Jim Ware) about a group offering free vouchers to spay cats. Hopefully we can track these folks down and have a chat with them. It's about time to start checking out some equipment. A Panasonic DVX100a, 2 lapel mics, and a handheld mic, an external audio capture device (personal), a small light kit w/ gels and filters, tri-pod, and for some of the b-roll footage the steadycam.

until next time

If you keep your head in the sky, you must keep aiming for the heavens.

Catch-up

no bs here, just the nitty gritty details.

-Our group's been able to meet once out of class, and there is no in class time available for groups to meet. Our next scheduled meeting is this weekend.
-We have a solid idea/pitch/focus and are in the process of solidifying an 8 week production schedule, thus coming to the end of pre-production. Our 8 week production schedule starts Feb 5, this allows for a short 4 week post production schedule so the final project is done at the end of the term.
-We are all working on scheduling different interviews, Melanie w/ P.E.T.A, Brittney w/ local vets & clincs, myself w/ Cesar Millan. We'll also want to conduct street interviews in dog parks, low income housing neighborhoods, and high income housing neighborhoods.
-A problem we'll encounter during post is condensing all our info down into a palatable and digestable form
-I'm excited about our group and our project. I think our production group shows enough strengths in enough areas that the finished project this term will be undoubtedly amazing! Research/Passion/Communication


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