Homeless people and the animals that accompany them is the subject of the documentary "Year Of The Dog" with the musician, bassist of Primal Scream, Simon Marie Butler on a journey to discover the life of the homeless.
In the documentary, Simon Marie Butler joins forces with the Dogs On The Streets volunteer group in the UK working for the health and well-being of homeless people and their dogs and helping them get off the streets.
"The global pandemic has shown how exposed the most vulnerable people in our society really are," the documentary said in a statement.
"The 'Year Of The Dog' honors the bond between stray dogs and their owners by revealing short survival stories during the period of greatest trial in the United Kingdom."
Butler learned about the work of the volunteer team when she was looking to adopt a dog. When she interviewed the band's founder, Michelle Clare for her show on the Soho Radio show Naked Lunch, the seeds for the documentary took root.
"People can lose their sensitivity to problems - whether it is homelessness or child poverty because we are constantly bombarded with information," said documentary director Paul Sng. "I wanted to find a way to tell a story about the homeless that would really make people stop and look. We are a country of animal lovers. The people we met so often put the dog's well-being above theirs. And for them, the work that the Dogs on the Street team is doing is huge. It's so important. "Life changes," he added.
The director tells, among other things, the story of a mother and a daughter he met on the set of "Year of the Dog". They were left homeless and offered accommodation, which did not allow pets, but their dog was a priority. "Every night one slept on the streets with the dog instead of abandoning it," he said.
"My ultimate goal is to house people, to provide them with mental health support, but also to remind the local councils that they have to take care of housing the person and his belongings. "And that includes dogs," said Michelle Clark, who, like the rest of the team, continued to offer during the lockdown due to the pandemic. And the shooting of the documentary that started before the pandemic continued. Michelle Clark clarified in an interview that humans and their animals must live together.
"Dogs give them routine, consistency, reason to get up, exercise, socialization, responsibility," he said. "Their dogs are a reason to live," he added. "What they are doing is so amazing and I felt it was not getting the attention it deserved," Butler told NME. Referring to the documentary, she stressed that it was an experience that helped her dispel myths and misconceptions about homeless people caring for dogs on the streets.
"These dogs have a really incredible life with people who love them unconditionally. They also have a very calm demeanor. I have not met a single dog with behavioral problems or anything like that. A dog that is with its owner all the time while it is out on the streets has a constant relationship. "They really care about each other," he said.