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Dog refuses to abandon friend amidst the rubble in Japan

2011-03-17T17:49:44Z

At once heartbreaking and beautiful, this video is a testiment to the loyalty and friendship a dog is capable of. It reminds me of images from our own Gulf Coast, post-Katrina, of animals who refused to leave their front porch as they awaited the return of their people.

*Update: CNN has reported that both dogs in the video have been rescued and are receiving veterinary care.

More posts to follow on what is being done to assist in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan and what you can do to help.

Here is an English translation of the voiceover exchange between the two reporters in the clip (translation courtesy of Toshiyuki Kitamura):

We are in Arahama area. Looks like there is a dog. There is a dog. He looks tired and dirty. He must have been caught in the tsunami. He looks very dirty.

He has a collar. He must be someone's pet. He has a silver collar. He is shaking. He seems very afraid.

Oh, there is another dog. I wonder if he is dead.

Where?

Right there. There is another dog right next to the one sitting down. He is not moving. I wonder. I wonder if he is alright.

The dog is protecting him.

Yes. He is protecting the dog. That is why he did not want us to approach them. He was trying to keep us at bay.

I can't watch this. This is a very difficult to watch.

Oh. Look. He is moving. He is alive. I am so happy to see that he is alive.

Yes! Yes! He is alive.

He looks to be weakened. We need to them to be rescued soon. We really want them rescued soon.

Oh good. He's getting up.

It is amazing how they survived the tremendous earthquake and tsunami. It's just amazing that they survived through this all.

Help for Louisiana Pets Affected by Oil Disaster

2010-07-19T00:04:31Z

The ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is having wide-ranging and severe impacts on families living in the region. Animal shelters are being overwhelmed by a tide of incoming animals, relinquished by families who are struggling to make ends meet. The Louisiana SPCA, in tandem with partner agencies, is offering free veterinary care including examinations, heartworm and feleuk/FIV tests, vaccinations, microchipping and spay/neuter surgery for qualified residents of Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Terrebone, and Jefferson parish that work within the fishing industry and who are in danger of relinquishing their pets. For more information on the program and how to get assistance, or how to donate, visit the LA-SPCA's Gulf Coast Companion Animal Relief Program site at http://la-spca.org/Page.aspx?pid=509 .

MINE named Independent Lens 2010 Audience Favorite

2010-07-01T14:59:20Z

At film festivals, the award that filmmakers most covet is the Audience Award. After all, these nonconventional filmmakers are telling stories not for fame or fortune, but to enlighten and entertain you — the audience.

After each Independent Lens television broadcast, the audience decides how a film measures up. At the end of each season, IL tallies the votes and honors one special film.

The filmmakers are thrilled to announce that MINE is the winner of the Audience Award for the 2009-2010 season of Independent Lens, and grateful for the incredibly receptive and passionate audience who voted for MINE as their favorite. Read more at PBS

MINE named Independent Lens 2010 Audience Favorite

2010-07-01T14:59:20Z

This is Who We Are

2010-05-04T06:51:01Z

The Animal Legal Defense Fund's new video is one of the most powerful and effective animal rights messages I have ever seen. With striking and often disturbing visuals accompanied by bold text and a fantastic, slightly haunting track by Gomez, the video produced by See3 paints the picture of a stark and frightful landscape of institutionalized animal abuse that is permitted if not sanctioned by an archaic legal system. But this isn't an imagined world. This is the shameful reality of the state of animal welfare under our current laws. This 2-minute video asks the viewer to consider the question: Is this who we are?

What have we learned?

2010-03-11T23:28:53Z

Humanitarian Aid Drop to Haiti / PHOTO CREDIT James L. Harper Jr., U.S. Air Force-Getty ImagesIn light of the recent tragic earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, my thoughts have been brought back to the feelings that compelled me to go down to New Orleans and all that I learned from those I met there. The echoing refrain after Katrina was "never again, never again." Never again would we allow neglect, prejudice and incompetence to turn a natural disaster into such a colossal human tragedy. So my question is, can we look at the response in the past few weeks and see what we have learned?

Experts say Chile's response to the 8.8 earthquake has been a model for disaster recovery, despite the failure of the navy and emergency preparedness office to issue a warning of the impending tsunami that took 100's of lives. In Haiti, lack of infrastructure has made relief efforts tragically less successful, despite the overwhelming response and financial aid streaming in from organizations and individuals of the international community. The question remains, will those billions of dollars be utilized to help the people who need it the most and leave the country and its people better off? And while it's sad to have to ask it, I'm glad the very real potential for mismanagement and corruption is being acknowledged on the international stage. I don't think enough light was ever shed on the rampant misuse and misdirection of funds following Katrina.

As bleak as the outlook feels at times, I feel empowered when I think about the impact individual action can have. We saw it in action after Katrina, how people who forced their way into the flooded city, risking life and limb, rescued stranded people and animals from rooftops and attics. How individual efforts, when added up, equalled 15,000+ pets saved... pets who then made life bearable again for someone who had lost everything, pets who went on to bring joy to a new family.

I was profoundly moved by the compassion and empathy I witnessed as individuals stepped up in response to Katrina. It also struck me that there are limits to our compassion, that for some people it's easier to feel compassion towards animals than towards other human beings or even themselves. For others, compassion is reserved exclusively for human beings as though expanding that would come at the expense of humans. My hope is that we learn to recognize our limitations and to see the potential of expanding the scope of our compassion to be more inclusive. I believe we stand to gain as a civilization when we understand the value and interconnectedness of all living beings and the dynamic environment we live in.