Nuzzles & Co., the local, no-kill pet rescue nonprofit, will soon be showcased in “Dog Spelled Backwards,” an episodic entry that premiered in this year’s Slamdance Film Festival.
The project by dog trainer Tim Almeida, along with Director Richie “Abstrak” Soto, takes a look at the dogs at rescues and the ups and downs of those who work in the shelter community.
Almeida and his crew visited Nuzzles & Co.’s rescue ranch on Sunday and shot some scenes and talked with Josh Stasinos, the nonprofit’s giving manager.
“I think (the facility) is amazing,” Almeida told The Park Record. “I started in (nonprofits) in different regions, and this is impressive.”
Almeida says the location is the perfect place for canine rehabilitation and training.
“Being out here where it’s so quiet, I definitely think the dog benefits, because you can feel it and you can hear it,” he said. “(Those located in municipalities) are in the busy, suburban towns, and there are 150 dogs that are losing their minds. They feel the stress, because they are in a kennel and don’t connect with people as much as they need to.”
A few years ago, Almeida reached out to his friend Soto, whom he met while making hip-hop and breakdance videos, with an idea.
“I told him we’re going to the shelter I’m working at and film,” Almeida said.
The idea, however, wasn’t to create a dog-training video.
“There is dog training there, because that’s what I do as a profession,” Almeida said. “We’ve seen dog-training shows for decades, and there are great dog trainers with YouTube channels that can teach you anything. So, ultimately this is about our story — the people who work in this field and the dogs that are in shelters and rescues throughout the country. I don’t think the average person sits around and thinks about local shelters like Nuzzles.”
So far, “Dog Spelled Backwards” features four segments that clock in around 20 minutes a piece, according to Almeida.
“Everything you see is (taken from) three or four hours of footage at the shelter (with) interviews,” he said. “The rest was cell-phone footage. And that’s what we put together.”
The episodes look at the issues like passion fatigue, emotional tolls and the rewards of working in shelters, Almeida said.
“We (decided) to release it in segments to give people a chance to digest each episode,” he said. “As each episode goes, I do feel like it goes into my personal story.”
Almeida’s love for dogs came at an early age, but his interest in shelters stems from a dog named Alger.
“I got him on his D-day, the day he was supposed to be put down,” Almeida said.
Unfortunately, Alger’s behavioral problems were so severe, he eventually had to be put down.
“That broke my heart,” Almeida said. “After Alger, I needed to learn about behavior and weave in creative dog training, because I know there are other dogs like him in shelters. So, (I thought) how could I help those dogs or the people who deal with these dogs, or how can I help educate the puppy better?”
Nuzzles is the first stop on Almedia’s tour of shelters around the country, and it was because of Slamdance.
“We got into Slamdance on our first submission, which is crazy,” he said. “I told Rich I had a feeling we would, because it’s about dogs.”
After the film festival accepted “Dog Spelled Backwards,” one of Almeida’s friends suggested he reach out to shelters located around Park City.
Stasinos was the first to respond.
“I told Tim that I had seen a post about the film on Instagram,” he said. “And here we are. We’re here because of dogs.”
Dogs are naturals when it comes to creating community, Stasinos said.
“We have a Run-a-Muk dog park up here, and I know a lot of dogs’ names, but I don’t know the dog owners,” he said with a laugh. “And they know my dog, but not my name.”
Nuzzles & Co. also hosts snuggle lounges where Stasinos, staff and volunteers take a pack of puppies to hotels, fundraisers and other social gatherings where attendees can do some cuddling.
“It gives me a forum to tell them about the puppies’ journeys and what it took to get them in their arms,” he said. “There’s a ton of stuff that has to happen. After the rescue there’s a two-week quarantine period. They have to get medical attention. They have to be spayed, neutered and microchipped. For some of these dogs, it takes a couple of months, because they have parvovirus or something like that.”
Providing those services takes a lot of money, and Nuzzles & Co. relies on donations and grants, Stasinos said.
“If the money doesn’t come in, we stop saving lives,” he said. “But can you put a price tag on a life? “
Almeida said the love of dogs even transcends politics.
“That all disappears when we see each other’s dogs,” he said. “We’re just happy about each others’ dogs. So we have this in common. What else do we have in common?”
In tandem with the world premiere of “Dog Spelled Backwards” at Slamdance 2024, the filmmakers, Tim Almeida and Richie “Abstrak” Soto, are launching “Shelter to Shelter,” a comprehensive social impact campaign. The campaign is designed to engage dog lovers across the United States, inviting them to join Almeida’s mission of raising awareness, advocating for improvements in the shelter system, and promoting the adoptability of shelter animals through education, community engagement, and resources.