NewEnglandFilm.com

Millions of animals are brought to shelters across the country each year. Although a lucky few are placed in homes, the majority are euthanized. In "Shelter Dogs," documentary filmmaker Cynthia Wade explores the complex ethical gray zone of the animal shelter system. Venturing behind the scenes at an upstate New York shelter, she provides an unprecedented and candid view of the staff’s highs and lows as they make life and death decisions about the animals in their care.

Wade took on "Shelter Dogs" because she was "interested in doing a film about ethics, where there were no easy answers." She was compelled by the plight of shelter dogs, having had two of her own and known many owned by friends and family. The feature length documentary focuses on the fate of five dogs at Rondout Valley Kennels, run by Sue Sternberg, an internationally-known dog aggression expert.

Before she began the project, Wade saw the issue of animal euthanasia in more black and white terms. "I assumed that a no-kill shelter was more humane, and that the people who worked there were more caring." However, Wade learned that the conditions in many no-kill shelters are actually very harsh, with dogs left to sleep on wet floors in chain link cages. Sternberg gives her dogs a comfortable place to live, with cushions and piped in music, and trains them to be better companion animals. All dogs are given temperament tests before they are adopted out to ensure that they will be a good fit with a family. Overly aggressive or mentally deteriorating dogs are considered unadoptable and are euthanized. Sternberg believes that this is more humane than keeping the dog in a shelter for the rest of its life. Whether or not to adopt out a dog is an often agonizing decision for the staff, and a frequent cause of tension.

Wade shot "Shelter Dogs" by herself — an experience that at times proved emotionally traumatic. "You bond with the animals," she said, "and this deals with life and death." Funding was also difficult in the beginning. "It was a labor of love," Wade said. She shot out of pocket for a year and a half, before finding private foundation money, and eventually HBO funding. During filming, she stayed in donated rooms at local bed and breakfasts, and even slept on Sternberg’s couch for a few nights. Adding to the complications, Wade was pregnant during much of the filming. "Month eight was in July," she said. "It became very hard to lift the camera."

Cynthia Wade filming "Shelter Dogs."
[Click to enlarge]

Sternberg granted Wade access to all aspects of the shelter operation, including euthanasias, and even confides to the camera that "she doesn’t know whether she’s going to heaven or hell," Wade said. "She doesn’t know how the dogs that she’s judged would judge her." Sternberg had no editorial input on the film, but loves the finished product. "She’s willing to take on controversy," Wade said.

Although highly praised, "Shelter Dogs" has proved to be a marketing challenge at festivals, Wade said. "People (who don’t want to see it) either say that they’ve seen it before, or say that they don’t want to cry." Wade argues that the film offers a new view on the subject. "It started as a simple story, but it became something bigger. It’s about ethics and quality of life." She also believes that it addresses an important reality that deserves attention. People who have seen the film walk away incredibly moved, she said. "They are going back to their communities wanting to do something about the problem."

Wade has an extensive background in documentary filmmaking, having worked for a number of television broadcast outlets and non-profit and corporate clients. Her projects include the Academy Award-nominated short documentary "The Collector of Bedford Street," a documentary about women on Wall Street, and a special on Bi-Polar Personality Disorder.

She has covered a wide variety of social issues in her work. "I’m attracted to conflict," she said. "For me, what excites me as a filmmaker is being thrown into a chaotic and upsetting situation where there are no easy answers. I’m interested in navigating the foggy, gray areas. But I don’t want to be didactic. I want to challenge the audience, but leave it up to them to make up their own minds."

Her career path was set early on. "In high school, I saw a documentary on PBS and knew that was what I wanted to do." She made her first films as a theater major at Smith College, and worked in non-profits for several years after graduation. After earning her Master’s degree in documentary film production at Stanford, she began taking on freelance projects. She worked as a Director of Photography on other people’s films before moving on to directing her own work. She still does some work for hire as a cinematographer — such as a recently completed documentary on divorce for MTV — but considers herself primarily a director.

Wade has had little difficulty finding an outlet for her work. "When people hear that I’m a documentarian, they say, ‘Oh, that must be a tough business,’ but then I think about when I worked in non-profits. I ran programs in homeless shelters in New York City. That was much harder!" The key is working backwards, she maintains. "I figure out the end product first and decide where it could fit in. From the beginning I saw ‘Shelter Dogs’ as an HBO project for ‘America Undercover,’ and that’s where it’s going to air."

Right now Wade is still "exploring different possibilities" for her next project, but it’s certain to be another challenging documentary. "I have no interest in narratives. I love documentaries," she said. "I love the chaos and not knowing where the story is going. I love the real people."