Help the Movie "Shadow Trade" End Thailand's Dog-Meat Circuit

A documentary on Soi Dog Foundation aims to stop the horrible practice, but it needs your help.

One of our favorite charities, Soi Dog Foundation, is working hard to end the illegal dog-meat trade in Thailand. But accomplishing heroic rescues is simply not enough -- to spare stolen pets from the butcher's knife, there's an urgent need to raise global awareness of the terrible fate of Thai dogs who fall into criminal hands.

An efficient way to do that is through the powerful medium of film. London-based Environment Films is producing a documentary for Soi Dog Foundation called Shadow Trade: The Price of Loyalty. To complete the project, the filmmakers have created a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGogo, which ends in a few days. 

Backing a film made possible through crowdfunding is a uniquely rewarding experience -- but it's doubly rewarding when the movie's mission is to help dogs in desperate need and dire circumstances. "The dog meat trade must end," is this film's to-the-point slogan. We couldn't agree more. And the filmmakers promise that any extra funds that are raised will go toward helping the dogs themselves.

As the Shadow Trade IndieGogo campaign winds down, show you care by becoming a backer. If that's not in your budget, please help spread the word by giving Trade of Shame a "Like" on Facebook. The dogs of Thailand will thank you. 

Here's the trailer for Shadow Trade:

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Celebrity Dogs Will Take Home Sophisticated Pup Swag at the MTV Movie Awards

These days, the dogs of celebrities are getting more and more time in the spotlight, so it's only natural that this year's MTV Music Awards' swag bags are going to include fashionable flower collars from high-end dog boutique Sophisticated Pup. The collars were designed specifically for the event by Sophisticated Pup owner Michelle Cleek O’Hollaren.

The Pink Tangerine Tutu Dress and matching collar and leash were created for Tori Spelling and her pooch, Mitzi.

Hosted by comic Russell Brand, the MTV Movie Awards will be broadcast Sunday, June 3, from the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles. With celebrities such as Emma Watson, Emma Stone, and Kristen Stewart slated to be in attendance, it promises to be a star-studded evening of movies, music, and even mishaps, as Ashton Kutcher returns for a special Movie Awards' edition of Punk'd. Winners of the different categories -- which include Best Kiss and Best On-Screen Dirtbag -- are voted for by viewers, making it the movie awards of the people.

Pugs in paisley!

They make canine coats too!

In addition to the exclusive flower collars, Sophisticated Pup will be displaying a Damask Tutu Dress (pictured below) with matching collar and leash in the celebrity guest lounge. Imbued with practicality and pizzaz, the brand provides fashion-forward dog owners with clothing and accessories to make any dog look like a star! 

The Damask Tutu Dress that will be on display at the MTV Movie Awards.

Photos via the Sophisticated Pup Facebook page

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Canine Movie Star Uggie to Retire; Click for Hugo Dobie to Get a Nod for a Golden Collar Award

Uggie's days on the red carpet are numbered, but he'd rather be lounging by the blue pool.

(Update below)

Uggie, the adorable canine big-screen star whose role in The Artist has catapulted him into the limelight, will be stepping away from his feature film career to spend more time just kickin’ back.

“Uggie’s still enjoying it, but he’s getting up there and he’s slowing down a little,” trainer Sarah Clifford told the The Hollywood Reporter of the 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier, who also recently costarred in Water for Elephants. “He’s at the stage where he just says, ‘I think I want to go and lay in the sun by the pool.” (And his other trainer and “dad,” Omar Von Muller, does indeed have a pool.)

The little dog with the big ‘tude will still take on minor roles, but there will be no more of the months of long workdays required by feature films. Uggie’s protégé, a Jack Russell named Dash, will be taking over the big roles. He has been waiting in the wings for this opportunity, backing up Uggie for minor scenes, learning the ropes before his older “brother,” as Von Muller calls him, stepped aside. (The two are not actually related, except that Von Muller calls himself “dad” to both.)

One of Uggie’s final red-carpet appearances will be on Feb. 13 at the Golden Collar Awards in Los Angeles. He and Dash will grace the stage as their own perky selves. “From what I gather, one of his last hurrahs will be at the Golden Collar Awards,” says Alan Siskind of Dog News Daily, which is putting together the gala event.

After the Golden Collars, all that stands in the way of chillin’ by the pool all day is a little event known as the Academy Awards. The Artist, which cleaned up during the Golden Globes earlier this month, is up for 10 awards. Unfortunately there still isn’t a category for animal actors, but that’s what the Golden Collars are all about.

I’m delighted that I will be at the Golden Collar Awards in a couple of weeks, bringing Dogsters exclusive coverage of the event. It should be quite the scene. There’s even some excitement going on ahead of time, with Martin Scorsese, whose film Hugo has 11 Oscar nominations, pushing for the canine costar of that film to be entered in the Golden Collars. He thinks the regal Doberman, Blackie (Maximilian), deserves to be in the running for top dog in the category of Best Theatrical Film.

Blackie, in Hugo. (Photo: Jaap Buitendijk/GK Films)

The director wrote this in an editorial in the Los Angeles Times:

“Okay, let’s lay all our cards on the table. Jack Russell terriers are small and cute. Dobermans are enormous and — handsome. More tellingly, Uggie plays a nice little mascot who does tricks and saves his master’s life in one of the films, while Blackie gives an uncompromising performance as a ferocious guard dog who terrorizes children. I’m sure you can see what I’m driving at.”

Good for Scorsese for sticking up for the big guy (actually, Blackie is a gal). If you’d like to see Blackie added to the roster, go to the Dog News Daily Facebook page and nominate her. She needs 500 write-in votes by February 6. I’m heading over there right now to nominate her. (I’ll use my Soldier Dogs moniker to add some teeth. ) Not that I don’t love Uggie and the other contenders, but Blackie’s stellar performance should not be overlooked just because she was kinda big and scary. (Time has wondered if this is a form of “breedism.”) Head over to the FB page and join in if you want Blackie to have a chance to run with the little dogs.

Update 10 p.m. Jan 30: We just learned from the LA Times movie blog that there was such an outpouring of votes for Blackie that she received all the nominations she needed within a few hours of getting out the word about her! I hope she can make the awards. I’d love to see her beside her more diminutive colleagues.

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