Out of Competition

SHELTER DOGS



Country of production: USA
Year: 2003
Language: English
Mins: 74

Director: Cynthia Wade
Cinematography: Cynthia Wade
Music: Mark Suozzo
Editing: Geof Bartz
Producer: Heidi Reinberg
Production company: Red Hen Productions, Inc.
Source: Cynthia Wade
Red Hen Productions
320 Seventh Ave. #282
Brooklyn, NY 11215
USA
Phone: +1 718 768 2310
Fax:
info@shelterdogs.org
www.shelterdogs.org

What happens to dogs not picked up from the pound?
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 sentence them to death?

Filmed and edited over 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.

Cynthia Wade has an extensive experience in documentary production, including for broadcast, non-profit, and corporate clients. Broadcast credits include HBO, PBS, A&E, the Discovery Channel, and many others. She teaches documentary production at Film / Video Arts in New York.

filmography as director
(selected)
RISK / REWARD (2004)
SHELTER DOGS (2003)
GRIST FOR THE MILL (1999)


Producer Heidi Reinberg in person!

Sunday 04-Apr-2004 5:30 PM Facets Cinematheque