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A film by Susan Sacks, Albert Maysles, Robert Leacock and Brock Graham
Film Synopsis:
Dogs have come into their own. With over 187 million hits on Google for dog
books, reality TV shows on dog whisperers, therapy dogs, therapists for dogs,
dog hotels and dog spas, in addition to endless magazines and catalogues
dedicated solely to canines, it’s safe to assume: the public never tires of
hearing about dogs.
Lucky Dog tells a story of dogs from a new perspective. It explores the
“rags to riches” stories of dogs who make it from shelters to the Broadway
stage, including the canine stars in the new musical Legally Blonde, Sandy
in the revival of Annie and the pack of 8 rescues who performed in Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang.The man responsible for these, as well as hundreds of
other rescues and adoptions, is Bill Berloni. If Annie, the Broadway musical,
has become a metaphor for the dream that there can always be a better
“tomorrow”, then Bill Berloni, who rescued and trained the first Sandy in
1976, has certainly earned the title “Daddy Warbucks of shelter animals.”
Today at 49, Berloni has established himself as the “go-to” guy for animal
actors for countless Broadway productions. But ever since his first exposure
to the desperate and inhumane conditions of the animal shelter system,
what has separated Berloni from the rest of his pack—in addition to his unique
training methods—has been his unyielding commitment to only work with shelter
animals. Lucky Dog explores the many facets of Berloni’s gifted and passionate
approach to animals including life on his farm in Connecticut where he resides
with his wife and daughter, 18 dogs, 5 cats, 3 horses, 1 donkey and 2 llamas—
at last count. With Susan Sacks, Albert Maysles, Robert Leacock and Brock
Graham as filmmakers, dogs as our subjects, and Bill Berloni as our guide,
Lucky Dog elevates shelter dogs to their due stature. It reveals them to be
perceptive, sentient beings patiently waiting, whether it’s for a role on
Broadway, or, an important new part in a family that will be all the better
for knowing and caring for them. In sum, Lucky Dog proves, in a heartwarming
documentary, that every one of us can be a star—and that every dog can,
and should, have his day.
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