“QUILL: LIFE OF A GUIDE DOG” AT PALM

27 Jun “QUILL: LIFE OF A GUIDE DOG” AT PALM

Program Sponsor, Wags and Menace Foundation of Denver, brings warm-hearted film to the Palm on Friday, June 29,  a benefit for Second Chance Humane Society

The Palm Theatre partners with the Wags and Menace Foundation of Denver and the Second Chance Humane Society to screen the critically acclaimed film “Quill: Life of a Guide Dog” on Friday, June 29 at 6 p.m. Based on a true story, “Quill,” a Japanese film by Yoichi Sai, is the sweet tale of a yellow Labrador Retriever born with a curious mark on his side resembling a bird spreading its wings.

Quill’s life as a normal dog drastically changes after his first birthday when he leaves his mother’s side to become a seeing-eye dog. Quill is a little slower than the other dogs at the school, but he seems to have an unusual empathy and remarkable patience with his trainers. Dog trainer, Tawade, decides Quill would make an ideal guide dog for Mitsuru Watanabe, the lonely and ill-tempered middle-aged man who is reluctant to rely on him at first. An incident occurs that causes the seemingly completely incompatible man and dog to come to rely on each other and become inseparable friends.

Established by Cindy Lee in 1999, The Wags & Menace Foundation seeks to provide medical treatment for sick animals in Colorado, to fund organizations and activities that benefit animals, and to inspire, teach and motivate other individuals and organizations to achieve similar objectives. Second Chance Humane Society, serving San Miguel and Ouray Counties, has been working with the Wags and Menace Foundation for five years  through Second Chance’s Wags and Menace Foundation Medical Fund. Via the fund, homeless pets in the care of Second Chance are able to receive special medical treatment for needs beyond the routine. For example, Wesley was only an eight-week-old kitten at Second Chance when he went into acute kidney failure. He required weeks of intensive care, fluids, meds, and blood work. That all became possible through the Wags and Menace Foundation Medical Fund. Wesley is now healthy and ready for adoption.

Cindy Lee plans to present the Second Chance Humane Society with a large donation check at the evening’s screening and the Second Chance mobile adoption wagon will be on site at the theatre and earlier in the day at Telluride’s Farmers’ Market.

In addition to promoting another donation for the medical fund from Wags and The Wags and Menace Foundation, Second Chance joins Wags and Menace prior to the film to promote the ‘Building Second Chances’ capital campaign that Second Chance Humane Society initiated just last year.  The campaign consists of a number of phases: the first was securing a new and improved location. That resulted in the purchase of Angel Ridge Ranch, a 52 acre property just outside of Ridgway. Constructing purpose-built dog facilities is the second. Second Chance anticipates the second phase of the campaign will be as successful as the first, particularly as they are kicking it off with $125,000 from the recent sale of the organization’s former property within the Town of Ridgway.

Executive Director Kelly Goodin stated:

 “When considering Angel Ridge Ranch as the new location for the region’s animal welfare operations and programs, it was clear that Angel Ridge offered a great package as an animal resource center, only lacking in industry specific facilities to house a high turnover of pets. We tagged the dog facilities as our first priority after purchase and are now ready to move forward.”

Currently the dog shelter population resides in a pre-existing facility on the property that was renovated after purchase to serve temporarily as the dog shelter. The present facility significantly limits capacity and presents varying challenges and inefficiencies.

To maintain general operating costs during its capital campaign Second Chance Humane Society is also promoting its singular Thrift Shop in Ridgway which generates about 70% of its annual revenue. The Thrift Shop receives donations in Ridgway during business hours (10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday- Saturday, or noon-5 p.m. on Sunday) or you can arrange a pickup in Telluride of donations by calling 626-3233.

Tickets for “Quill: Life of a Guide Dog” are $6 for students and children, and $8 for adults and available at the door.

For a preview, watch this heart-warming video: