WELCOME TO THE PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER FILM FESTIVAL

Love at the Drive-In

Carl Johnson

HUMANE HERO AWARD

Previously a cat-only pet guardian, Carl Johnson’s life was immediately enhanced by also welcoming dogs into his family after his retirement in 2006 from Citigroup in New York. After retiring to Palm Springs with his husband, Larry Seeger, Carl began volunteering at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter in 2011. Looking for an opportunity to put his business acumen and leadership to work, he joined the Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter Board of Directors in 2012 where he quickly found his life’s passion. Carl was instrumental in helping open the new shelter —crafting policies and procedures, mentoring staff members, and putting in long days to help fill in on the front lines whenever and wherever needed.

From the start of his involvement with our organization, Carl has generously sponsored innovative programs and activities designed to improve the lives of the animals in our care, including life-saving medical equipment, dog play group and enrichment areas, and intensive staff training and development programs. Carl is particularly passionate about helping dogs who need a little extra love and training before they can be adopted into loving homes. Carl’s support helps give these dogs the specialized care and training needed for the second chance they so greatly deserve. 

Currently, Carl serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors. He and Larry share their home with a clowder of cats and a pack of dogs, all living the good life, and all absolutely adored. 

Best Friends Animal Society

CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE AWARD

Best Friends Animal Society is committed to achieving a No-Kill standard across the United States by 2025. Animals at their own sanctuary and lifesaving centers receive all the love, care and medical treatment they need — be it life-saving surgery or life-changing training — to find homes of their own. Because Best Friends knows a home is the best place for companion animals, they implement programs around the country that prevent pets from having to enter shelters in the first place, and also get those who do, adopted more quickly.
Best Friends’ mission extends to helping animals who are not looking for homes, but simply looking to survive. As is the case in many communities across the country, there are thousands of free-roaming community cats in the Coachella Valley. Over the decades, the tragic fate of many of these felines has been euthanasia. Through a generous three-year grant to the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and Riverside County Department of Animal Services, Best Friends made a tremendous impact in the lives of local cats, helping us to create a comprehensive community cat program that includes a robust Trap Neuter Release (TNR) effort and on-going humane care and services for free-roaming cats. Because of the generous support and bold leadership of Best Friends Animal Society, thousands of cats have healthier, happier lives, neutered, vaccinated and living under the watchful eye of compassionate colony caretakers.

Al Stein

HERO FOR LIFE AWARD

Al Stein was born and raised in San Francisco. He spent much of his life as a financial advisor, a noble career in its own right, helping others manage their money in a way that could provide both security and peace of mind. That spirit of helping others extends beyond his own species. Keenly attuned to the pain and suffering of others, Al is compelled to focus his attention on helping those who cannot help themselves — animals. 
Al and his wife Sharon moved to Palm Springs in 1988, where they reside today. Al’s animal advocacy, however, goes back further, starting in Northern California where he served on the Board of Directors of the Palo Alto Humane Society from 1982 to 1989. It was there that he learned about the use of gas chambers in California animal shelters. Appalled that such a barbaric practice was used by the entities entrusted with caring for homeless pets, Al set out to help change California law, working with California legislators to ban the use of carbon monoxide gas chambers for animal euthanasia. Al’s efforts paid off, resulting in then-Governor Pete Wilson signing the bill into law in 1998. Al worked on several other pieces of California animal welfare legislation that also became law, including the ban of the “hot shot” euthanasia injection into the heart, and for higher standards for veterinary practices in the state.

His compassion reached across the globe, taking him to Barcelona to demonstrate against bullfighting. Al spoke to a crowd of thousands in a packed coliseum, imploring them to look into their hearts, past tradition, flare and entertainment, to see the undeniable cruelty of bullfighting. That day was the beginning of the end of the bloody spectacle of bullfighting in the region. Bullfighting was banned in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia by a vote of the Catalan Parliament in July 2010. The ban came into effect on January 1, 2012 and the last bullfight in the region took place in Barcelona in September 2011.

Al was the original sponsor of the Sonaga-Young Chimpanzee Rescue in Cameroon, Africa. The organization is thriving today, caring for more than 70 rescued chimpanzees from  three to over 50 years of age and educating and sensitizing populations about the importance of conservation, with an emphasis on outreach to primary school children.

Closer to home, Al has been a tireless advocate for animals in the Coachella Valley. He has exposed neglect and cruelty in public animal shelters, aimed a spotlight on animal abuse in circuses and rodeos, and advocated for better conditions for carriage horses. Two decades ago, Al teamed up with Friends of the Palm Springs Animal Shelter board president and veterinarian Dr. Doug Kunz, to convince then-Mayor Ron Oden that the City of Palm Springs needed a new animal shelter. Al pointed out that the shelter, built in 1960, was pathetically outdated and that the residents — both humans and pets — deserved much better. The mayor and city council quickly agreed, acknowledging that Al was right — the city should and could do better, much better. His efforts led to the completion of the beautiful state-of-the-art shelter we have today.

Al Stein’s commitment to animal advocacy is more than impressive. It inspires us to be better humans. It motivates us all to speak up and show up on behalf of animals. Most importantly, it demonstrates how one person can make a difference.

YOUNG HERO TO ANIMALS AWARD

Palm Springs Boys & Girls Club – Torch Club

Established in 1948, the BGCPS is currently the largest after-school program provider in the City of Palm Springs, serving over 1700 young people per year. Their Torch Club is a club within a club and serves boys and girls ages 11 to 13.

Members of the Torch Club have been committed to partnership with and service to the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. From reading books to dogs (during pre-pandemic days) to monthly service projects, this dedicated group of young heroes has been working with the shelter for several years.

Most recently, the group teamed up with shelter staff to create educational videos for their members, teaching the basics of pet care and the responsibilities of pet guardianship.

The future of animal welfare and advocacy is bright with these young heroes leading the way.

FIRST SET OF SHORT FILMS

Kronos -The Gitup Challenge-Filmmaker, Tiffany‘s Diamond Dogs

Celebrate – Filmmaker, Rachel Grissom

Turtle Dogs – Filmmaker, Roberto Flores

The Sato Project – Filmmaker, Jacob Pieczynski

Paws & Wheels – Filmmaker, Say Mahalo

 

Films by & with amazing kiddos –

Don’t Hurt Dogs – Film credits donthurtdogs.org 

Ovy Skiing – Filmmaker, Maddie Dimetrosky

 

SHORT INTERMISSION

 

SECOND SET OF SHORT FILMS

Gratuitous Cat Video – Cat’s Cradle – Filmmaker, Jonathan Napolitano

 

Mountain Mojo – Filmmaker, Russell Biggs

 

Joey & Roxy – Film credits, PAWsitive

Old Dogs New Digs – Filmmaker, Five Road Films

Dog in the Woods – Filmmaker, Paul Jason Hoffman & Christian Chapman

Max The Mayor of Idyllwild – Film credits, Phyllis Mueller

Something in Common – Filmmaker, Wine Dog Pictures

Trail Dawgs – Film credits, Wagstaff