So finally somebody who watched a part of this film spoke out.
I also happened to see it on TV, having been since too tormented by the image of the unneutered, young Cocker Spaniel who was brought in, assessed unfairly and forcibly, and killed without mercy, without any time and consideration given for a possibility of future re-homing. And surprisingly all of this was done by one, just one personŐs decision.
The assessment test given to him by Sue Sternberg was the cruelest I could ever imagine as a form of a test.
First, he was given the big yummy treat(looked like a bone), and happily started to nibble, eat and play with it, then the harassment began immediately to interfere with this pleasurable activity, by the poking of a long fake hand(obviously invented to serve the purpose).
On the screen, the cocker tries hard to get away, struggles to hang on to the treat, tries to shake off the fake hand which keeps poking and pushing, but the harassment continues non-stop, even harder, with such persistence and determination to break him, that he finally and eventually snaps, and bites the hand. Yet the bigger the bite, probably the better(for the record?) so after one biting, the provocation still continues, then we hear Sue's voice in the background saying triumphantly something like, "See the aggression?"
This way as expected, her own first-hand diagnosis on him as "a biter" was proved. So there was openly no hope for him to be adopted(despite the strong plea for mercy from the staff), his death sentence was justified. The burden to worry about this dog's future will quickly be off the director's shoulder.
All she needed to do was to take him to a vet, buy greasy chicken nuggets on the way, give it to him as the last meal(and yet she makes him sit and beg for each handing out) before tying up his mouth with a rope and put him up onto the table for the fatal injection.
This episode among others hit me the hardest, because I myself live with a totally food-obsessed cocker spaniel and ironically enjoy every bit of it. I witness everyday his ultimate joy of eating, eating simply for the pleasure of it but nothing else, and yes he sometimes growls when we try to interfere with it (so we simply don't disturb, let him enjoy the moment as long as it lasts).
It gives me a shiver just to imagine that in similar circumstances or by the meanest provocation like in this case, my dog would and could have acted the same way as this cocker in the film. Especially if he hadn't been neutered and had been mistreated in the past(that my dog wasn't, so he is not a biter).
I'm sure Sue Sternberg started as an animal lover and truly cared at the beginning. That is why she is against keeping the aggressive, non-adoptable dogs in the cages all their lives, she simply can't stand to see them suffer and deteriorate, and go crazier day by day.
However, once she learned the easiest way to solve the problem, and found how quickly and painlessly the euthanasia was performed(not to care for the animal's fright on the death table), she accepted it as a way of mercy and started to resort to that solution, with a distorted conviction that she was saving them all from the future sufferings on earth. Yes, and the last meal of nuggets would do the trick.
I only hope the film audience wouldn't swallow everything she says and does, as the ultimate way to run a shelter, nor praise or copy her style, but think of Boggy (I believe it was the name of the cocker), and the old sweet Agnes who, after spending days in the shelter loved and cared for by the staff, had to die when suddenly the sentence was handed down by Sue, who couldn't stand the sight of her any longer with no possibility of immediate adoption.
I hope instead that people would question and think hard otherwise, think that there could have been a future for them, the great second chance to live happily ever after, with no worry(never) to be abandoned again.
We know, and the best example here is what the Animal Advocates Society of BC does. Many dogs they rescue and rehabilitate are the very type Sue Sternberg would declare the death sentence on the spot---scared, depressed, un-socialized, defensive or aggressive. It's a wonder to see though, after a period of time those dogs transform into happy, wonderful companions for the right people. It's not easy, takes all the will power and patience, but AAS achieves it, because they never give up, they never ever take euthanasia as a solution.
For those who haven't seen the film, there is another broadcast on this Friday (the 10th) on CBC News Station Channel at 10:00pm.