By Goya Dmytryshchak
Laverton’s Todd Perry has fostered more than 100 dogs awaiting adoption, but it was the story of how he fell in love with a rescued Doberman named Chee that propelled him to the big screen.
The tale captured the attention of Altona filmmaker Rose Damon, whose short film, Chee’s Story, won the Altona Beach Film Festival’s main award and people’s choice.
Chee’s previous owners took him to the vet at seven months old to be put down because he had mange, a very treatable condition.
The vet took Chee to a rescue.
“Chee’s care just came in the form of medicated baths and treatments instead of plays and walks,” Todd said.
“The only thing about Chee was that his recovery took so long and once he was ready for adoption there was no way we could physically part with each other.
“I’ve fallen in love with over 50 per cent of the dogs I foster – don’t get me wrong – but with Chee, he had never had someone treat him nicely in any capacity before and he was so respondent to it and he was so emotionally reliant on me.
“He’d already come through so much and overcome so much in his short life … if he had gone to another home, that would have just been another setback for him and he didn’t deserve that.”
Ms Damon came across Todd and Chee while researching local dog rescues so she could become a foster carer.
“I actually came across a Facebook post by Todd celebrating that he had been with Chee for about a year,” she said. “In that post, he had put a before and after photo showing just how decimated and sick Chee had been and the incredible recovery that he had made to become this happy healthy dog.
“I was absolutely shattered when I saw how ill and badly treated Chee was and I was just really moved by the clear love and compassion that Todd has.
“Basically, it stayed with me for a few days – I couldn’t get it out of my head.”
Ms Damon, who has become an All 4 Paws volunteer herself, hopes the film would encourage others to consider fostering dogs.
To see the film visit: www.facebook.com/All4PawsDogRescue/
