The Business of Saving Lives
"The Business of Saving Lives" is about people who go to extraordinary lengths to save the lives of dogs and cats by rescuing them from pounds and puppy mills and transporting them to no-kill shelters. The story follows three transports of dogs, from desperate rescue situations in Arizona, Utah, and Mississippi, to the Helen Woodward Animal Center in San Diego, CA. Along the way the film explores the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of a broken animal welfare system that leaves 5 million dead each year.
Through interviews with animal welfare authorities, shelter managers, and animal control officers on the front lines of an uphill battle against pet overpopulation, the film profiles Tylertown, MS, St. George UT, and Kingman, AZ - three very different towns dealing with very similar problems brought on by illegal breeders, irresponsible owners, and animal hoarders.
The task of solving the pet overpopulation problem seems insurmountable at times, but hope emerges in the work of Mike Arms and the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Bringing proven business practices to an industry driven by emotion has put Mike at the center of a paradigm shift thatÂ’s been revolutionizing animal welfare in the last decade. By taking a fresh look at a century-old problem, leaders like Mike are making steady strides towards reducing the number of animals killed in shelters each year, and lessening the impact this has on pet owners, tax payers, and the animal control officers who are forced to kill the animals they work to save.