Pandemic puppies. With the U.S. on lockdown during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people looking for companionship brought home a new dog. These happy stories of pet adoption made headlines nationwide. The connection not making the news was to another national disaster 15 years prior, the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In its wake, Hurricane Katrina left more than 250,000 pets stranded in the South, giving way to a nation-wide dog rescue effort. Since then, millions of Southern rescue dogs have been transported to new homes, many in the North, thanks to the tireless efforts of a grassroots network of dog rescuers. And while the media loves image of dogs climbing out of transport trucks into the arms of eager adopters making their way to new homes, little attention has been paid to the other side of the story and where these dogs started their journey. The documentary film Free Puppies tells the origin story of a network of independent "rescue ladies" who patrol vast rural counties in the Tennessee Valley caring for stray and surrendered dogs. In rural areas with no public animal services, these women volunteer to rescue countless dogs from neglect and the prospect of euthanasia, placing them in forever homes across the country. Free Puppies presents a true story about the heartbreak and heroism of dog rescue in America.
—KS at ClassicCoupleAcademy.com