“A Dog’s Purpose”
I don’t know about you, but when I saw the trailer for this movie I bawled! Since then there has been a lot of controversy whether people should boycott the film due to animal cruelty issues of the dogs that were part of the production. There is a video that has been circulating on the internet with a German Shepherd, footage that was taken by an individual on the set, it appears the animal in question, is being forced into a tank of rushing water and is very fearful. It is hard with videos and the internet, to know what is real and hasn’t been spliced and diced to ‘make’ news. Oddly, this morning I thought perhaps this was all a grand ploy by Donald Trumps people to distract the general public from real issues and his becoming President of the United States this week! Perhaps if we are all focused on the issue of animal cruelty we might forget the other goings on in the world that are also unsettling. I have been doing some reading and poking around, trying to make an informed opinion on where I stand about this film and whether I would weigh in on the topic! First off, I don’t think snubbing the film honours the animals that did appear in “A Dog’s Purpose”. I was recently talking to a family member and when I discussed the premise of the movie, how a dog’s soul travels from one body to another, teaching people life lessons. The response I got was “Animals do not have a soul!” Hmmmm….this is why I think people SHOULD go see the film, we humans do not have the market cornered on the spark that embodies meaning and purpose! The concept of the soul in my thinking is that a body acquires life; meaning sight and hearing, thought, intelligence and emotions, will and desire, personality and identity. Every animal I have had the pleasure of knowing very much has it’s own distinct personality, character and significance on those around it, I believe we are all here to teach one another, to effect and influence one another’s journey! I have read that the footage of the German Shepherd was taken out of context and that bits and pieces of other footage was spliced together to make things look worse than it actually was. I am not sure what the truth is, there will be an inquiry and hopefully all the animals that were part of the movie are in good stead and leading happy lives and were not negatively impacted by their participation. I think any film using animals can be brought into question, horses, bears, dogs, cats, birds…they are not actors…we have to hope that their caregivers/handlers/trainers are advocating for them! I know that at some point I will see this picture, as I feel the message is one that is too special to miss out on! We all have a purpose…personally I think those of our four legged friends whom we share our homes and lives with is a bond that should be honoured and celebrated!
No Time To Paws 