Muncie filmmaker Jill Dolon hopes her work with celluloid can educate the public about pet overpopulation. “I realized a long time ago that people don’t understand overpopulation and euthanasia,” she says. “It’s time the public sees the realities of shelter life.” With her work on the documentary film Their Voice, the former animal-control worker wants to offer viewers a “no-holds-barred” account of overpopulation and the lives of animals involved with the problem. “When I was with animal control, people would call me a murderer,” Dolon says. “Even for no-kill organizations, if the animal is suffering or kennel-crazed, not euthanizing can be cruel. There are things that are worse than death. There are times when euthanizing is necessary.” The 35-year-old has visited shelters in Indiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ohio to gather footage. She continues to seek funding for both the film project and for the Unconditional Love Foundation, a 3-year-old no-kill organization with aims to build a shelter in the near future. In the meantime, Dolon plans to continue working on her documentary. “People will see how hard it is to make the decisions at these facilities,” she says. “People need to understand that overpopulation is a problem that can be controlled and stopped through spay and neuter, through not supporting puppy mills.” For details, e-mail Dolon at StopDogFighting@aol.com.
