Summer Drought

Summer is upon us and the theaters are full of overblown and disappointing blockbusters. Am I the only one that would rather stay home and watch my cats groom themselves for two hours than pay $9 to see the rehashing of a TV show or action adventure franchise that wasn't interesting to me the first time around? The two exceptions to this summer drought are Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which my girlfriend refuses to see with me (the reasoning behind this probably requires its own post), and Standard Operating Procedure, which isn't playing in Phoenix yet. If either of the above flicks are a must see or don't bother then please send me your personal review. Meanwhile, to cope with this dry spell I've been visiting the local public library and burning through my Netflix queue, watching mostly TV shows and documentary films.

Dealing Dogs is an HBO doc about Class B dog dealers, who sell dogs to vet schools and research labs. An undercover animal rights activist exposes gross neglect and abuse at the Martin Creek Kennel in Arkansas, one of the largest Class B dealers at the time. The images depicted are extremely disturbing and painful to watch. Hundreds of dogs were living in unimaginable conditions, with animals dying weekly of treatable conditions. But I found it fascinating to see how that system works and what is required by animal groups and activists to actually create change within the system. The actual buying and selling of these dogs (depending on the source) is legal but the overcrowded kennels, filthy quarters, and physical abuse are not. There are laws to prevent this kind of abuse, but they are simply not enforced. The lack of oversight and enforcement has clearly created a system where these animals are seen as commodities and are often not treated humanely. Dogs are also stolen and sold to Class B dealers for profit. It is hard to recommend a film that is so incredibly difficult to watch, but I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this lesser known animal rights issue.