What is your favorite (or least favorite) book or movie about animals, and why? That was the question we asked you for this issue’s Coffee Break. Some of you loved works that made you cry, while others disliked the same works for the same reason!

Oleg Prikhodko/istockphoto.com

The movie, Eight Below, is incredible. Based on a true story [of] eight sled dogs who are stranded for nearly six months in Antarctica, the movie does a great job of demonstrating the determined survival spirit of dogs, as well as the tenacity some people have for helping them. Not all of the dogs survived—no different from real life—as all of us who work in shelters and rescues understand. Sadly, we’re unable to save them all. I sobbed at the end of the movie for the dogs. But my friend reminded me, “It was a miracle that some were saved; focus on that.” What a good lesson.
—Chris Shaughness, Dog Behavior Counselor/Trainer, Pet Therapy Services Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania

We had so many problems after the movie Cats & Dogs came out. So many people wanted or actually purchased a beagle without any real idea of the “personality” of that breed—something we in the animal field know immediately. It naturally led to quite a few dogs ending up in our shelter and the tough job of finding the best homes for them.
—Lynn Smith, Animal Care & Education Manager, RSPCA of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

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To see and respond to the latest Coffee Break question, check out www.animalsheltering.org/coffeebreak.