"A Dog Named Gucci" - A Must-See

All photos (c) adognamedgucci.com

This past Sunday night I attended the Connecticut premiere screening of the documentary “A Dog Named Gucci.” Chris, a rescue friend from New York City, invited me to meet her and her daughter Sofie at Yale University for the film.

Sofie, who has a part in the film, is an amazing young woman who founded NYC Teens for Animals when she was just twelve years old.  Director Gorman Bechard - who moderated the film and the question and answer period that followed - eloquently described Sofie by saying, “If a twelve year old can make a difference, we all can.”

But outside of seeing Chris and Sofie, there was also the film - and from the beginning, everyone was engaged. Unlike the typical movie experience, the audience simply could not look away from this thought-provoking, disturbing, yet equally uplifting film.

“A Dog Named Gucci” opens with a scene that seems unspeakably cruel, yet as we all know is all too common. Gucci was a puppy whose life was nearly taken before it even began, after he was hung from a tree, beaten and set on fire at just ten weeks old.

Horrific?  Yes, but thankfully, that was only the beginning of Gucci’s story. 

Eventually the puppy came into the hands of Doug James, a local college professor. He was not intending on adopting Gucci or any dog for that matter, but with no place else to turn, and no other hopes for survival, James adopted Gucci, who he would later describe as “the perfect dog.”

James and Gucci spent 16 years together, not just as human and companion, but as activists too. Gucci became a local celebrity and the face of animal cruelty in Alabama. When state laws allowed little more than a slap on the wrist for Gucci’s abusers, James devoted the next six years to changing them and with Gucci by his side, succeeded. The “Gucci Bill” made animal cruelty a felony in Alabama for the first time.

The film goes on to look at the laws across the nation and tell the stories of other horribly abused dogs and the people who advocated for them – individuals who predicated changes in the existing laws resulting in stiffer penalties for those convicted of animal cruelty. As the film points out, when Gucci was born, animal cruelty was a felony in twelve states. Today it is a felony in all fifty states thanks to so many people who would not take “no” for an answer.

While portions of the film were heartbreaking and brought the audience to tears, ultimately the message was a positive one. This film could have easily turned into another sad commentary on the human race and the heartlessness, disregard for life and unmitigated abuse that some members of our society inflict on other living beings. 

Instead though it portrays animals who have seen the worst of us, yet give us their best; animals who by all rights should hate yet continue to love, animals who have endured unimaginable abuse yet are able to forgive. It also shows us how many good people there still are and how an individual, a community, a state and a nation can come together and be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

In “A Dog Named Gucci,” Bechard shows us how, with perseverance and determination, ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things. His passion for animals is apparent. There is so much we can learn from animals and so much we can and should do to protect them. “A Dog Named Gucci” inspires all of us to stand up, speak out and do whatever we can to make the world a better place.

“A Dog Named Gucci” is outstanding – a must-see. It is a story about triumph and how we all have the power within ourselves to make a difference. “A Dog Named Gucci” is a film you will not forget and one that just may change your life.