Top Dog Tour Magazine- Edition 2

TOUR MAGAZINE
THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING DOG FILMS | EDITION 2

WELCOME!
Welcome to the UK and Ireland Top Dog
Film Festival! Thank you so much for
joining us for our first ever virtual show. While
we can’t share these heart-warming films with
you in person, we’re delighted to deliver this
brand-new selection of films into your home.
The Top Dog Film Festival features a collection
of uplifting canine-inspired short films, all
celebrating the unbreakable bond between
dogs and their people. This year’s films
star adorable pups across the planet, from
hard-working sheep dogs in New Zealand to
America’s manicured lap pooches. Plus, we
know you’ll love Sugar the surfing rescue dog!
The Top Dog Film Festival originated in Australia
with the aim of honouring the incredible bond
between dogs and their people through
independent films from around the world. The
festival had its UK premiere at the Festival
Theatre in Edinburgh in 2019, before visiting
another 13 venues across England and Wales.
We’re delighted to be launching the event in
Ireland for the first time ever this year.
We’d like to thank our fantastic partners for
making the show possible and we’d like to thank
you, the audience, for tuning in. We hope you’re
staying safe and maybe enjoying extra time with
your pets, and we can’t wait to see you at a live
event soon.
The Top Dog Film Festival team
TOUR PARTNERS:
FOLLOW THE TOUR:
TopDogFilmFestUK
TOPDOGFILMFESTIVAL.CO.UK

FILM PROGRAMME
SURFING WITH SUGAR, 7 mins
Californian surfer Ryan Rustan has led a troubled life, falling
into a rough crowd as a young man. His path to healing came
in an unlikely form: meeting and rescuing a former street dog,
Sugar, who would also become his surfing partner. Ryan says
that Sugar taught him how to love, and he is now on a mission
to share that love with others through surf therapy, art and a
love of animals.
LURE OF THE NORTH, 12 mins
In the snowiest region of Minnesota, Blake and Jennifer Freking
have two children and more than 60 purebred Siberian huskies.
With over 20 years’ experience of working with the breed, they
have competed in numerous long-distance dog-sled races.
Lure of the North explores the challenges of living and raising
children off-grid, and captures the Frekings’ devotion to the
sport, their spirit of adventure and their commitment to the
wellbeing of their fluffy family.
WHY PEOPLE TREAT DOGS LIKE
HUMANS, 7 mins
In their quest to treat dogs like members of the family, some
pet owners supply their pets with everything from ‘pawdicures’
and full-on wardrobes, to five-star hotels and private chefs. Why
People Treat Dogs Like Humans ask if some dog owners go
too far, and looks at the importance of maintaining a balanced
perspective.
WOLF CALL, 9 mins
John Ramer has worked in animal sanctuaries most of his adult
life, often without pay, and feels this is his life’s calling. John’s
experiences with captive wolves have left him deeply changed,
driving him to share his knowledge and passion with others in
the hope that wild wolves might one day return to Colorado‘s
open lands. Wolf Call asks us to rethink our relationship to wild
and captive animals, and the world we together inhabit.
TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL TOUR - EDITION 2

OLD DOG, 21 mins
New Zealand farmer Paul Sorenson has a unique connection
with his colleagues – a team of sheep dogs. For 40 years, he’s
worked to develop smarter and more intuitive training methods
for fellow farmers, while grappling with memories of a difficult
childhood. Reaching retirement, the veteran dog whisperer
passes his knowledge to the next generation of shepherds and
reflects on the sacrifices he’s made pursuIng his passion.
ADVENTURE DOGS - SKIING THE
BACKCOUNTRY, 8 mins
Gnarly skiing, deep powder and an off-grid cabin aren’t just fun for
humans – they’re great for dogs too! A snowboarder and a skier
head deep into the mountains with their two snow-loving dogs,
Kicker and Gru, for a spectacular winter adventure. Adventure
Dogs highlights the incredible bond that connects humans and
dogs in the wild, on an unforgettable backcountry expedition.
ODD JOBS FOR DOGS, 23 mins
Dogs can be life-changing companions, and sometimes they
are even more than that. Odd Jobs for Dogs meets dogs who
have dedicated their lives to lending a helping paw, from Hoki
who helps monitor protected species, to Rasy, who wards off
pesky seagulls on Sydney Harbour. And we guarantee you’ll love
Tiffany - the real estate model! These diligent dogs take pride
and pleasure from their work, and spread joy along the way.
CRUISIN’ CANINE, 5 mins
Eclipse the labrador loves the dog park – so much so that she
took herself there one day by catching the bus! Eclipse is now
a regular feature on Seattle’s public transport, brightening the
lives of commuters and bus drivers alike (although she hasn’t yet
bought a ticket). Introducing Seattle’s legendary bus riding dog.
LAND OF THE STRAYS, 13 mins
In the mountains of Costa Rica, Lya Battle and her husband
Alvaro are living every dog lover’s dream – to rescue every dog
in need that they see. Even taking in dogs thought to be beyond
recovery, their 375-acre farm is home to more than 1,000 pups.
Their passion and dedication offers a second-chance to these
animals, and hope for those who have yet to be found. A glimpse
at how two people can make a big difference.
TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL TOUR - EDITION 2

ODD JOBS
FOR DOGS
Meet the clever canines who are more than just pets…
6 Top Dog Film Festival

You’ve heard of police dogs and sniffer dogs,
but how about a seagull patrol dog, or a
pooch who works as an estate agent model?
These are just some of the positions held by our
four-legged friends in Odd Jobs for Dogs.
“To do something with a sense of purpose can
be really helpful for a dog, especially a working
breed,” says Xavier Diekman, who works with
Rasy the seagull patrol dog. “Giving Rasy a task
like this improves her quality of life.”
Two-year-old Rasy’s job description is to keep
the promenades around Sydney Opera House
free from seagulls, so diners at the waterfront’s
picturesque bars and cafes can enjoy a pleasant
lunch without being mobbed by the pesky birds.
In reality this means she gets to walk in the fresh
air, chase seagulls and have lots of fuss from
grateful patrons – what more could a dog want?
“Rasy gets paid in the way that dogs like best,
which is treats, cuddles and lots of affection,”
says Xavier. “She’s a bit of a celebrity here.”
From chasing away birds to protecting them,
another star of the film is Hoki, a protected
species dog. Along the backcountry rivers of
New Zealand, the springer spaniel / border
collie cross uses her keen sense of smell to find
endangered ducks, which helps conservationists
monitor whether schemes to protect the birds
are working.
“If you’ve got a dog you can get a more accurate
picture of what the duck population is doing,”
says Hoki’s owner Paul van Klink. “The ducks
she sometimes finds – it’s quite incredible where
she can smell them from.
“Once she’s found a bird she watches it for
a bit, but then yawns and wants to carry on,”
continues Paul. “She’s got a work ethic like no
other – she loves going out there and gets very
excited when she knows she’s going to work.”
Also starring in the film is Teddy, who’s training
to be an actor, and Tiffany, a shih tzu / cavalier
cross, who uses her adorable looks to help sell
houses. And these wide-ranging roles for our
four-legged friends have one thing in common
– job satisfaction is high!
3 more incredible jobs for dogs
• Skydiving: The Colombian Air Force has
trained sniffer dogs to skydive, so they
can come on missions in the most remote
regions
• Reindeer herding: In Finland, the Lapponian
herder is a result of a female wolf / male
dog hybridisation for herding and guarding
reindeer
• Lobster fishing: In Florida, fisherman Alex
Schulze has taught his labrador Lila to dive
and retrieve lobsters from the ocean floor
TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL TOUR - EDITION 2

LAND OF
THE STRAYS
Introducing a haven for abandoned dogs in Costa Rica…
he feeding process is the most complicated
“Tpart. The problem with having so many
dogs is that there is no way we can give every
animal a bowl to eat from.”
‘So many dogs’ in this case is over 1,000 – so
that’s a lot of dog food. Deep in the mountains
of Costa Rica, Lya Battle and her husband
Alvaro Saumet run the non-profit Territorio de
Zaguates, which means Land of the Strays,
a haven for dogs who have been abandoned,
mistreated or injured. So how did it start?
“At the beginning we never thought, let’s start
a sanctuary for dogs,” says Alvaro. “Lya started
rescuing dogs and soon we had 185 dogs
living under our roof. It started to cause some
problems with our neighbours…”
The animal-loving couple moved their unofficial
shelter to a farm Lya inherited from her
grandfather, in tropical mountain land about an
hour north of San José, the country’s capital –
and the number of dogs they rescued continued
to grow.
“We’ve had dogs come to us dragging their
back legs because they had been hit by a car,
and after a few sessions of therapy they were
wobbling and walking, and then strong enough
to get their muscles back – it’s wonderful,” says
Lya.
8 Top Dog Film Festival

“A lot of the dogs here were messed up,” she
continues. “And now they live on a farm, and
they get wet and dirty and muddy, but they’re
happy. They’ve healed on the inside, and that’s
the hardest part to heal.”
Most dogs at the sanctuary are available for
adoption to the right home, with each dog
assigned its own ‘breed’ based on its unique
characteristics, to dispel the myth that purebreds
are more valuable than mongrels. Who couldn’t
love an Alaskan Collie Fluffyterrier, or a Fire-
Tailed Border Cocker?
The Land of the Strays is a beacon of hope
in Costa Rica, where over a million stray
dogs roam the streets, and others are victims
of abuse and neglect. Lya says government
funding is needed, along with better education.
“It has to start with children,” she says. “Children
have to grow up knowing how to treat an animal
properly, how to consider it part of your family.
It has to happen at school, and kids will teach
their parents.
“Some of my proudest moments are when I
see dogs walking and running around here that
were either supposed to be put down, or really
weren’t supposed to survive,” she finishes.
Visit www.territoriodezaguates.com for
more information, and to support this
fantastic organisation.
TOP DOG FILM FESTIVAL TOUR - EDITION 2

TOP
DOGGY
STATS
Fun facts about our four-legged friends
26% of the UK adult population owns a dog – that’s
roughly 9.9 million pet dogs, according to animal welfare
charity the PDSA. In Ireland it’s even higher, with about 35%
of households owning at least one pup.
The labrador is the most popular breed for UK dogowners,
says research from the Kennel Club, with Jack
Russell terriers and corgis growing in popularity – perhaps
influenced by their appearances in the film The Secret Life of
Pets (Jack Russell) and the Netflix series The Crown (corgis).
The demand for pet dogs has risen sharply during the
pandemic, with the price of puppies more than doubling
during lockdown to almost £1,900 on average, according to
figures from Pets4Homes.
Dogs hugely improve mental health, with 74% of
animal lovers reporting mental health benefits from pet
ownership, says the Human Animal Bond Research Institute.
10 Top Dog Film Festival

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