Movie of the Week: FREE PUPPIES!

“Adopt, don’t shop.” It’s a pet-rescue mantra we’ve probably all heard, and it comes to vivid life in Christina Thomas and Samantha Wishman’s poignant, informative documentary (or should that be “dogumentary”?) Free Puppies! As they follow a group of tireless volunteers who work on many fronts to help control the prolific pet population in largely unregulated Southern states, the co-directors shine an empathetic light on both the animals and those who want to help them find happy forever homes.

The film explains why thousands of dogs and puppies end up making their way north from states like Georgia to be adopted each year. Largely, it’s the result of far looser (or, frankly, non-existent) controls around spaying and neutering domestic animals in much of the south. But even pet owners who might be on board can be deterred by lack of access to affordable options. So dedicated folks like Monda Wooten, Ann Brown, and Ruth Smith spend all of their spare time helping people get their dogs fixed, making sure the animals are treated by vets, and working to get surplus puppies and dogs adopted — sometimes nearby, but often out of state.

Free Puppies! could easily have fallen into the trap of condescension and Southern stereotype, but instead it offers a nuanced look at a complicated situation. (That said, it’s difficult not to wince when Monda tells a male dog that he’s going in for a “sex change” when she takes him to get neutered.) And it shows how offering practical, accessible solutions to people who are short on time and money can make a huge difference. The creative ways the volunteers find to help both the animals and the people who don’t quite know what to do with them are impressive.

And then there are the dogs themselves. Free Puppies! is bursting with appealing canine co-stars, from tiny puppies to veteran hounds. You can completely understand why their plight has captured the hearts of so many humans, and you’ll be hard pressed not to tear up a time or two when their backstories are shared — or when they’re matched with eager adoptive families. It’s dog-gone touching. — Betsy Bozdech

Team #MOTW’s comments:

Loren King Free Puppies! is a cute title but this is a heart wrenching and urgent film that deserves the widest audience possible. Co-directors Samantha Wishman and Christina Thomas deliver an engaging and inspiring look at a group of unsung heroes: volunteers who, despite the odds and the overwhelming need, rescue neglected, abandoned and mistreated dogs throughout rural areas of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Wonder why so many rescue dogs come from the South? Monda Wooten, Ruth Smith, Ann Brown and other dedicated volunteers explain that the already lax laws regarding dogs are unenforced. We see them respond to crisis calls all over rural, impoverished sections of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee to rescue flea-infested puppies left in boxes along the road and dogs running wild in filthy overgrown lots. It’s heartening to see, thanks to their efforts, shipments of rescued dogs arriving in the North to be, hopefully, adopted. But the film’s story is both an important public service and cautionary note. Until behaviors and laws change, the cycle is constantly repeated. Despite the daunting task, these spirited volunteers soldier on and deserve to be heralded for their service.

Nell Minow: These women are the real-life Paw Patrol, tirelessly and fearlessly caring for animals. It’s also the story of culture and community, confirming some stereotypes about the rural South perhaps but shattering others. The kindness the rescue teams show to the people as well as the dogs is very moving.

Susan Wloszczyna: If you love furry creatures great and small, you will revel in the heart-warming documentary Free Puppies! Filmmakers Christina Thomas and Samantha Washman focus on how rural counties in Georgia-Alabama-Tennessee tristate area overflow with dogs, mostly because these Southern regions don’t have the cash, the laws and structure in place to protect these precious animals that often are often are over-bred to the point of endangering their health. Read full review.

Pam Grady: Prepare to say, “Awww!” A lot. Dogs of all shapes and sizes and the occasional cat appear in this documentary focused on the pet rescue to adoption pipeline. Animals lovers will be charmed at the constant parade of furry, four-footed friends and simultaneously outraged. Directors Christina Thomas and Samantha Wishman cast a light on the conditions facing animals in the Deep South where spaying and neutering pets is not common, where most shelters still practice euthanasia in the face of overwhelming numbers of stray and abandoned animals, and where simply leaving a dog at the side of the road is not an unusual occurrence. Against this bleak backdrop are those who fight on a daily basis to improve the lives of animals – rescuers that take in dogs and arrange to ship them to urban areas up north for adoption, volunteers that work with impoverished pet owners to make their animals lives easier, veterinary clinics that offer low-cost spaying and neutering, and shelters doing what they can for the animals entrusted into their care. The tide is slowly turning in favor of canines and felines in the South and this entertaining documentary highlights the people making those necessary changes possible.

Leslie Combemale Committed women are working both in front of and behind the camera in the documentary Free Puppies!, From the rescue volunteers and advocates, to the directors, who also produced and edited the film, they are all in. That is definitely inspiring to viewers. It’s interesting, also, given the current political climate, that two of the main subjects featured come from completely different ideologies. What brings them together is their compassion and love of animals. The title is a bit of a bait and switch, but for good reason. As an animal lover myself, I was drawn in by the potential of seeing puppies, but there was much more of a focus on the dangers for stray and abandoned dogs in the South. For those who have a soft spot for creatures that can’t help themselves, Free Puppies! offers a valuable education about the challenges to “man’s best friend” largely brought about by man.

Jennifer Merin Free Puppies!, filmmakers Christina Thomas and Samantha Wishman’s documentary, is alternatively charming and alarming, and always compelling, as it follows dog rescuers throughout rural counties in the Georgia-Alabama-Tennessee tristate area. Volunteers Monda Wooten, Ruth Smith, Ann Brown and others work tirelessly to alleviate the overpopulation of unwanted dogs across the United States, but primarily in the South where pet laws are light and most often unenforced. It’s not uncommon to see boxes with newborn litters left as litter by the side of the road. The network of women who strive to educate the public and to find good homes for homeless dogs are absolutely heroic, the unwanted dogs they rescue might well become some women’s best friends. Maybe even you!

Sandie Angulo Chen: Filmmakers Christina Thomas and Samantha Wishman’s documentary Free Puppies! is a warm-hearted look at the important but disturbing work that dog rescuers do, traveling throughout rural parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee to help spay, neuter, and save the overpopulation of stray or neglected dogs. The film focuses on volunteers Monda Wooten, Ruth Smith, Ann Brown, as well as expert veterans and animal-rescue nonprofit workers who applaud their work. It’s not always easy to watch, but the women, and the filmmakers, are empathetic about the reasons some people have (usually financial, but also due to mental illness) not to spay and neuter their dogs. A sequence with Vietnam Veteran brothers who live in the backwoods with dozens of dogs is particularly sad. While this isn’t a groundbreaking documentary about the topic of dog rescuers, it’s touching and inspiring – those of us with (or who love) dogs can do our part to make sure these small, grassroots organizations have the resources they need to keep saving and transporting puppies.