According to the Humane Society of the United States, approximately 10,000 licensed and unlicensed puppy mills operate nationwide. Breeding mothers at these facilities are forced to collectively produce more than 2 million of the puppies sold in America each year.
Lil Olive was once among those statistics. This Italian greyhound spent almost 13 years in a tiny cage, generating more than 20 litters of puppies for the owner of her Missouri mill. Despite deplorable abuse and neglect, she endured in silence, like so many hundreds of thousands of mill dogs.
And then she was rescued.
A Voice for Lil Olive is a feature documentary film, coming in 2017 from Pete Schuermann, that spotlights the life-changing bond that developed between Olive and her rescue “momma,” Pam Horton. With patience, devotion and the support of a Facebook community drawn to their story, each of them educated and inspired the other. And together they put an unforgettable face and voice at the forefront of the growing movement against this form of animal cruelty.
Schuermann is a seasoned documentary filmmaker, and this film does take a hard look at the dark truths of the puppy mill industry. But it is ultimately an uplifting and inspirational essay on Lil Olive’s post-mill life and the power of the spirit, both human and animal. Dog lovers who have turned away from heartbreaking puppy-mill footage in the past will find something here that’s more nuanced, affirming and profound.
A Voice for Lil Olive will be viewed for years to come as the definitive documentary on puppy mills and those who are fighting to put an end to them. This film will also inspire people to examine their own lives to determine how they can make a difference by speaking for those who have no voice.