Searchdog

"I have always felt that dogs had a higher purpose on this earth, and it was up to the humans to make that happen," says Matthew Zarrella, an internationally renowned K9 Search and Rescue Specialist, Rhode Island State police sergeant, and unofficial "dog whisperer." Zarrella struggled in school with dyslexia, but developed confidence through his connection with dogs, becoming a leader in the Search and Rescue field. Producer/director Mary Healey Jamiel accompanied Zarrella for four and a half years as he trained the next generation of Search and Rescue Specialists and prepared them to take the rigorous cadaver-search test. The documentary also demonstrates the highs and lows of Zarrella's work--cases of suicide or murder. At the end of the day, the goal of Zarrella and his dogs is to find answers to missing-persons cases, whether to provide closure for the families or to save people whose lives hang in the balance. This film showcases the relationship between people and dogs, particularly when such a relationship can be so beneficial and productive. Though humans and dogs work together to accomplish heroic acts, it is the everyday scenes between Zarrella and his dogs that are most memorable. (Seattle International Film Festival)