TORONTO – Next Saturday, May 30th, TVO will premiere its new original film Rescuing Rex.
The show aims to unearth truths about international dog adoptions. “A new social movement driven by a desire to do good, and fueled by irresistible puppy pics on Instagram, many millennials are bypassing breeders in favour of adopting homeless dogs from around the world,” reads the release.
But what does this new trend mean? Told through the eyes of compelling human and canine characters, the film takes viewers from the mountains of Taiwan to the tarmac at Toronto’s airport, and from a rural kennel in Texas to an urban rooftop in Vancouver.
“International dog rescue seems like a feel-good story, and it usually is,” says Jane Jankovic, executive producer of documentaries at TVO. “But there is also a dark side. With few regulations, rescue can be the wild west of pet ownership. Most adopters aren’t aware of the risks involved or the scammers who are out to make a profit. Rescuing Rex brings this all to light, the feel-good upside and the risk.”
On May 30, 2020, at 9 p.m. ET, Rescuing Rex will be broadcast on TVO and will be available to stream across Canada on tvo.org. It will be rebroadcast on TVO on June 2 and June 4 at 9 p.m. ET. The film was directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Leora Eisen.
