Documentary Film Notes

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Documentary film notes

Shelter dogs’ documentary

Documentary’s thesis

The documentary “Shelter Dogs” was Sue Sternberg and produced by HBO. It features dog shelters that house rescued dogs. This documentary shares the story of a dog shelter that considers euthanasia as a humane choice for the dogs whose life has no future. According to the documentary, each year in America, five million dogs are brought to shelters. Most of these dogs are found astray in the streets, and others are abandoned by their owners. Other dogs are surrendered by their owners because they are unable to maintain them in their homes. Those who take the dogs to the shelters say they cannot find time to keep and groom the dogs because of their tight schedules. Many prefer to take dogs to shelters than euthanize them. The dogs kept in shelters face different destinies. Few are adopted by people looking for pets, but the rest will never find homes. Many dogs will stay in the shelters in their entire lives. There is ongoing controversy concerning what to do with unwanted dogs. Some shelters keep them for the rest of their lives, other shelters choose to euthanize them.

Those interviewed in the film

People interviewed in the film are dog owners who took their pets to the shelters. The reason they chose to take dogs to shelter is the unavailability of time to take care of the dog due to exhausting business or job. They say while dogs are good, they require companionship, care and time, which is hard to find due to difficult schedules. Many interviewed preferred to take dogs to the shelters, where they can receive food and medical care than subject them to euthanasia.

Authority of people interviewed

People interviewed in the film are the dog owners, shelter operators, and people coming to the shelters to look for dogs to adopt. These people have influential authority since they are associated with dogs and shelters, therefore, they have deeper knowledge about dogs and shelters. Their opinions greatly matter because they have substantial understanding and experience about dog shelters. Their views provide insight and discernment into the life of shelter dogs and decipher into the controversy surrounding the element of euthanasia. The interviewed people provide different perspectives on the film’s topic as well as provide firsthand information about dog shelter.

Credentials of creators of the documentary 

The film was created by Sue Sternberg a dog behavior expert and a graduate of Massachusetts University. She has over thirty years’ experience in canine behavior, animal control and veterinary. She is also an animal behavior consultant and animal care technician at different dog shelters. With a deep understanding of dogs’ behavior, Sue Sternberg has authoritative credentials in the film and her opinions are highly regarded. Having written numerous books about dog adoptions and produce many films, she is highly qualified to produce the documentary. HBO aired the documentary. HBO is one of the leading film and documentary editor and producer. Given the credentials of the creator and the producer, the film quality as it provides educative insights and intuitive information.

How I found this film 

I found this film through the search in the HBO database. HBO hosts many high-quality documentaries and films. It also found on YouTube. It can be easily found on the internet through a simple google search.

Work cited

Shelter Dogs. Directed by Sue Sternberg. HBO. 2010. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQfvZ762z4