Mine (2009) - Movie Review

When I came across the documentary titled Mine, I was instantly intrigued. The documentary tracks the struggle of pet owners to reunite with their pets as they tried to pull their lives together after Hurricane Katrina. Documentaries sometimes take a hard slant one way or the other, but the subject matter hit very close to home for me.

I was dispatched to New Orleans in the aftermath of the storm. I was in the city when there were more animals than people on the streets. It was a tragic situation that was often heart-breaking. I am a pet owner and animal lover. While the pets were not my responsibility, it was tough to watch animals suffer. We were given a number to call for animal control, but they were so overwhelmed, they normally did not respond. I received contact information for some of the "unauthorized" animal rescue groups that showed up in the wake of the storm and found them very responsive. Earthy. But responsive. They did a fantastic job of saving an incredible number of animals.

It was from that framework that I watched this film. Having personal experiences predisposed me to take sides in this film. So I was pleasantly surprised to see Director Geralyn Pezanoski and her co-author, Erin Essenmacher, take a balanced approach to the subject matter. It was refreshing to watch a documentary that was purely subject matter without slipping into preachy undertones or taking a clear stance on the issues. Instead, the film presents a very balanced and surprisingly difficult to reconcile examination of the subject matter.

Here is the quandary created by Katrina: Pet owners were often separated from their pets during rescues, leaving the pets to fend for themselves until further help arrived. Some people who left when they were ordered to left their dogs home with food and water, expecting that they would be returning to their homes in a few days (this was compounded by the fact that many of the hotels that were booked by evacuees would not accept pets). These two factors contributed to tens of thousands of pets left behind to fend for themselves. Hard-working animal control personnel were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Volunteers flooded into the area to try and alleviate the strain (the two groups had a common cause but were not working together well). Normally, an animal has a brief period of time to be adopted or they are put to sleep. Because these animals were not intentionally abandoned, efforts were made to extend those deadlines. Eventually, animals had to be moved out to remote shelters if they had any chance to live and/or be adopted by new families. When home owners finally began returning to rebuild their lives, their pets (who would otherwise have died) were scattered to the four winds.

So who owns a dog that has been unintentionally abandoned, rescued, removed to another state and ultimately adopted by a loving family? When a pet owner wants to be reunited with that member of their family that was left behind, what do you do? Does the new family have an obligation to return their pet? Is the rescue shelter legally liable? Is it the fault of the former owner for leaving the pet behind? These are tough questions that demonstrate how sticky these issues can get in the absence of any case law or previous disaster (and rescue) of this magnitude.

Mine brings home this precarious situation by sharing the experiences of five pet owners who want to be reunited with their dogs. Most of the stories have happy endings (a tribute to the fact that people are fundamentally good). But the decision to part with an animal that you have brought into your own home is not that easy. The new families depicted in this documentary struggle (to various degrees) with the decision to return their pets to the former owner. The emotional bond between human and dog makes this documentary almost feel like a drama (in a good way). The candid interviews are instructive and genuinely connect the audience with the struggle that this issue creates.

Overall, Mine presented an unbiased examination of the unintended consequences of Hurricane Katrina. While the loss of life and unparalleled property damage have been well documented over the past five years, very little attention has been given to this particular issue. Mine presents a touching, engaging analysis of the ways in which this issue have affected all of the parties involved. What began as a heroic rescue of animals has turned into custody battles, lawsuits and emotional strain on all the families involved. It is a sad issue that has many different angles. What about those dogs that were abused before the storm? Should they be returned to a neglectful owner? What about the lady who was forced from her home by the National Guard who refused her the ability to take her dog Murphy with her? Every situation is not the same. Mine gives viewers a glimpse of many different angles while remaining surprisingly neutral. It was an excellent film that felt a little bit choppy at times (bouncing between stories without smooth transitions). I would highly recommend Mine. 8/10.

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