Shelter Dogs
| Shelter Dogs | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Cynthia Wade |
| Produced by | Cynthia Wade |
| Starring | Sue Sternberg |
| Music by |
Simon Gentry Mark Suozzo |
| Cinematography | Cynthia Wade |
| Edited by | Geof Bartz |
| Distributed by |
Films Transit International HBO |
|
Release date
|
2003 |
|
Running time
|
74 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Shelter Dogs is a 2003 documentary film directed and produced by Cynthia Wade about animal welfare in the United States and the ethics of animal euthanasia. Following a particular New Yorkanimal shelter and its staff over a three-year time span, Wade gives her audience a complex, honest look at the situations that arise when it comes to homeless animals and some of the difficult, controversial decisions that must be made within them
Thousands and thousands of stray and unwanted dogs are born into the world everyday. When these animals have nowhere to go and no one to care for them, it becomes a situation that society needs to make a decision about. Animal shelters have become one solution for the issue of these homeless animals, but then the question becomes, what do we do with them then? This question is controversial, in that not all of them can be adopted. As a result many animals are euthanized, a fate extremely controversial in itself.
Sue Sternberg, the founder of an animal shelter in rural area in upstate New York, does her best to help alleviate this issue. Sternberg and her staff take on countless animals brought to them for shelter and are forced to find ways to deal with making difficult decisions when it comes to them, including whether they will need to be euthanised or kept in the shelter. Some dogs of course are adopted out to loving families, but others remain in the institution for longer periods of time. The staff is also forced to deal with situations such as animals who have a history of aggression, and if it is ethical to keep attempting to place that dog in a home.
Since the documentary is filmed over a long period of time, from the perspective of the people actually working in a shelter, the audience gets a unique and honest perspective on topics that can often seem one-sided.
An online community of pet lovers and owners has a forum promoting a boycott of the film. The post claims that controversy surrounding Sternberg is nothing new to the rescue and adoption community. Many people believe strongly in her methods while others find her cruel and violent. It is also stated that a good amount of the public criticism comes from now ex-employees of Rondout Valley shelter and Sternberg who have released information about the employer’s controversial actions.
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