“The 101 Dalmatians Musical” Shelter Dogs
Written by Vegetarian Star on October 8th, 2009 in Animal Issues, Broadway and Stage.
The 101 Dalmatians Musical is using more than a dozen shelter rescued dogs for the production.
Animal trainer Joel Slaven had some trouble getting shelters to hand over the pups, as they feared what the renewed popularity for the breed would mean to Dalmatians across the nation.
Back in both 1996 and 2000 when the live action Disney “101 Dalmatians” and its sequel came out, as expected, there was a rush to pet stores and breeders. But the dogs were returned just as quickly when families and individuals found out they weren’t quite the right fit.
“The toughest thing I’ve ever done is finding the dogs,” Slaven told the Associated Press. “When the movies came out, they were overbred and that made the breed, which already has some health problems, even worse. People got the dogs, couldn’t afford vet bills, found the dogs untrainable, or didn’t get along with kids. Shelters, Humane Societies and rescue groups don’t want anyone to use these dogs for entertainment, and they don’t want to help someone who’s going to do this again.”
Slaven vows to educate the public this time.
“I knew we’d have to do it differently than the movie. We have to explain about the stars that, just because they’re cute, doesn’t mean you should get one for the kids tomorrow.”
For more information on The 101 Dalmatians Musical and tour dates, visit The101dalmationsmusical.com.
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