Cause* It’s Saturday

As documentary films become more and more popular with audiences, the medium is an increasingly effective way to shine a light on dark issues.

I was happy to learn recently that “Madonna of the Mills,” a documentary about one woman’s work to rescue adult dogs from their life sentences at puppy mills, is starting to make the film festival rounds. I think festival screenings offer a great opportunity for the film to spread puppy mill awareness among mainstream audiences. Visit “Madonna of the Mills” on Facebook here for news on screenings. There are two upcoming east coast screenings:

• Garden State Film Festival, March 31-April 3 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. “Madonna of the Mills” will screen April 3. Details here.
• Westport Coalition Against Puppy Mills fundraiser on April 16 at The Community Film Institute in Fairfield, Connecticut. Details here.

When the film screens anywhere near me, I’ll be there. Read the film’s synopsis and watch the trailer below and tell your friends. There’s no graphic footage in the trailer but there are sad images, of course. You can read the happy endings for the dogs featured in the film at the film’s site here.

“America has a nasty secret. All of those cute puppies that are sold in pet stores come from ‘puppy mills.’ Their mothers spend their entire lives in tiny, unsanitary cages, never walked, never petted, never doing anything but making puppies. When these dogs can no longer produce litters or money for their owners, they are put to death – stoned, shot, drowned or starved.

‘Madonna of the Mills’ is a documentary about Laura, an office manager from Staten Island, who stumbled on this secret four years ago and vowed to save as many of these breeding dogs as she possibly could. Laura has now rescued over 2,000 dogs from Amish and Mennonite farmers in Pennsylvania. In the process, she has forever changed her life and the lives of those families fortunate enough to adopt one of these remarkable ‘puppy mill’ survivors.”

Read a profile on Laura Flynn-Amato in the “Staten Island Advance” here. You can also watch Laura meet Danny, one of the dogs she’s rescued, in his new life as the loving companion to a family with an autistic son, here.

Madonna of the Mills Trailer from Umbrella Girl Media on Vimeo.

*Cause It’s Saturday: Inspired by an abandoned senior dog named Jasmine’s happy ending, which began on a Saturday, DDY sets aside this day of the week for animal cause features. Read Jasmine’s story here.

DDY is one of more than 100 blogs participating in the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop! Find the link list to what’s hoppin’ in the pet blog world today at hop host “Life With Dogs” here.