This morning I went to see Hotel for Dogs and I really liked it. It was entertaining, humorous, emotional (I needed tissues), and fun. Friday, the dog star of the movie, was extraordinary and I wish I could teach my Rosie to do some of the things that dog did so effortlessly.
The Animal Control officers were portrayed as villains and nasty men, the scenes in the pound were dark and scary, implying the importance of taking care of your animals. And the message that animals deserve to be treated with compassion and kindness was loud and clear.
Where the writers and producers of this movie failed miserably, was at getting the message out that spaying and neutering your animals is imperative to control pet populations, and that adoption should be your first choice when searching for a dog. This movie was the perfect venue to drive those key points home to every person who enjoyed the movie, and yet, until the end of the credit scroll…after the cast listing, key grips, producers, writers, location thank yous, and other things most people don’t care a lick about, passed, there was one single line that suggested adoption as a good choice when choosing a dog. It says – “Help a Furry Friend. Adopt, Volunteer, Donate.” If you didn’t sit through all of the credits, you missed it.
In fact, at the end of the movie there is a nursery filled with puppies, which would suggest to the viewer that dogs having puppies is a GOOD thing. I assure you, it is NOT.
As an active member of the rescue community where I live, we are all well aware of the need for animals to be spayed and neutered. Over 60,000 animals are killed every year in my county alone, so do the math around the country and the numbers are staggering.
I was hopeful that this movie would focus on the importance of adoption and spaying and neutering, and it missed the mark entirely. And it was the perfect place to educate children…and their parents…in an entertaining way. How sad.
