Local filmmaker focuses on no-kill shelters

A Royal Oak based producer named Thomas Young worked for about a year to produce the documentary “No Pet Left Behind.”
“In November 2008, my family and I adopted a new family member from the Animal Welfare Society and I truly learned about the lack of awareness of the no-kill shelters,” writes Young.
He was motivated to spread awareness, and hence, the idea for the film was born.
“Along with helping to build awareness, a large part of the profitable proceeds from this program will go to help the Animal Welfare Society and, if we can get a good distribution, some of the other shelters involved in the production,” Young wrote.
It’s a good cause and so, of course I agreed to watch the film and blog about it.
I only saw a shortened version of it, but from what I saw, it was definitely an informative piece of work.
My husband and I used to volunteer at the no-kill shelter K-9 Stray Rescue League in Oxford years ago. One visit there makes it clear how badly funding is needed.
Some dogs live out their rest of their lives in these shelters, grateful for two meals a day but starved of the attention that comes from being someone’s pet. The shelters are always full and always seeking fosters so they can take on even more pets.
It’s truly a heart wrenching experience to be there, surrounded by so many souls in need.
At K-9, the dogs who were sick or recently out of surgery stayed inside in cages. The rest of the dogs lived in pens outside. They got food and water checks twice a day, the pens would be cleaned and the dogs usually got some run time in the yard. A volunteer trainer also stopped by on a semi-regular basis to work with some of the dogs who it needed it the most.
It doesn’t sound so bad, and it’s not — remember, these are dogs who would otherwise be dead. K-9, like many no-kill shelters, takes animals only from the kill lists at other shelters, sometimes rescuing them moments before they were scheduled to die.
Even knowing that, the experience still tugs at your heart. No dog should have to live its life in a pen or cage.
So, do your part. Be a foster. Adopt a dog. Better yet, adopt an older dog or a special needs dog — these are the ones who usually do live their lives out at no-kill shelters. Or you could volunteer to clean cages, walk dogs or even just do some laundry.
As for the documentary, Young hopes to get it on television, possibly enter it in some film festivals and in the long run, raise money for no-kill shelters through the sale of DVDs. I hope his hopes pan out, because it is certainly a good cause.