Rescue dogs can change your life. Filmmaker Terry Katz is very aware of that fact now that he has a rescue pup of his own. In 2016, Katz adopted an 11-month-old Terrier mix named Mona. Since then, his life has been significantly better.
In fact, adopting Mona was such a great moment for Katz that he decided to share Mona’s story with the world. Currently, he’s in the process of creating a film called “Loving Mona” to tell Mona’s rescue story. Also, he hopes his film can encourage more dog lovers to adopt dogs in need.
Mona’s Story
Katz is semi-retired, and both his daughters are now living their own lives. His wife also works full-time, which means that Katz is often lonely. So, he decided that a dog would be the perfect way to keep his life exciting, and he was right! When he first saw Mona, it was love at first sight. He knew that he needed her in his life.
“She caught my eye right away. I interacted with her and touched her, and she seemed to like me and I really liked her,” Katz said. “We’ve been together ever since and she’s changed my life for the better.”
Katz met Mona at the North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, NY. Before he adopted her, part of his life felt empty. However, with Mona, he felt happier and had a better sense of purpose, and Mona likely felt the same. They saved each other’s lives.
“Mona filled a great deal of my empty time with purpose, got me outdoors, and kept me active. Through her I met many new friends.” Katz said. “I love her very much and she’s my best friend.”
Katz came up with the idea for the film “Loving Mona” because he wanted to tell the story of how Mona changed his life, but he also wanted to encourage other people to adopt dogs too. The film has been in the works for the past two years, and Katz is getting close to the finished product. Katz has a background in filmmaking and editing, so he used those skills to complete this project.
Creating “Loving Mona”
The film consists of shots from parks and other areas near Katz’s home. Throughout the process, he interacted with other families that have adopted dogs. He decided to learn about their experiences with rescue dogs to help add to the film’s theme of dog adoption.
“I thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast Mona and myself to others that I’ve met,” Katz said. “I went out and started interviewing friends and saw a lot of commonalities people have with their dog and everything came down to the bare essence of love and friendship.”
Katz explained that he’s amazed that there are so many great rescue dogs available every single day. He wants more people to be encouraged to open their hearts to these dogs because dogs are such incredible creatures.
Once this film is released, it will be available free of charge to animal rescue groups, animal advocates, and animal shelters. Katz hopes that these kind organizations will be able to use it for fundraising purposes. The goal of this film is to help more dogs like Mona get adopted.
Even though the film is close to completion, Katz still needs to raise some more money to add the finishing touches. He set up a GoFundMe page for anyone that wants to help him complete his project. If you’d like to help this amazing film come to life, please consider donating. In the meantime, you can check out Mona’s Instagram and Facebook for updates on the film.
Watch the Preview Here:
H/T: qns.com
Featured Image: @loving_mona/Instagram
Toledo, United States.
