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"Marshall the Miracle Dog" Sends A Positive Message

A “Commit to Be Kind” event was held on March 7th in line with “Marshall the Miracle Dog’s” debut to make a statewide call to action against animal cruelty and bullying. 

Film writer, producer and director Jay Kanzler wanted to tell his story. Marshall had been a rescue dog of the Humane Society after being found victim to a hoarding situation. He was named from surviving his heart stopping three times on the operating table. 

“This movie is about a boy and his dog, each of whom have been bullied, find one another and kind of work through that toward a happy ending.”

Prior to Kanzler’s film, a children’s book was written by Marshall’s now owner Cynthia Willenbrock also called “Marshall the Miracle Dog.” It too emphasizes a message against bullying.

The “Commit to Be Kind” weekend was held in correspondence with Missouri 4-H, the Humane Society and various schools and animal shelters throughout the state. Ten percent of the proceeds went to 4-H. Kanzler says that the Humane Society and other shelters had opportunities for mobile adoption and volunteer sign-up during the event. Different schools held supply drives that would go to these shelters.

The film was viewed by 40 theaters across Missouri on March 7th and 8th.

“Let’s have a good time, let’s watch a great movie, but at the end of it let’s leave with a call to action -- to commit to be kind,” says Kanzler.

Kanzler says Willenbrock and Marshall have traveled throughout the state and even more on a national scale to around 350 schools to talk with students about using a voice to stand up to bullies as well as preventing the mistreatment of animals.

Kanzler said, “At the one school we did here just the other day, I think it took 25 minutes as 500 kids lined up, just so that they could pet or kiss or just kind of say hello to Marshall. It’s really a lot of fun.”

Kanzler irrefutably has something to say about bullying through his film. He wants to say anyone can be a good person. He says even bullies have the choice to not be bullies. But he points out another theme is perseverance. 

“How many times have we given up on one another or on ourselves, you know, five minutes before the miracle’s about to happen, five minutes before something really extraordinary about to happen. Don’t do that, keep at it, persevere,” said Kanzler.

Kanzler is a documentary-based filmmaker and says the fact that the film was shot in Missouri rather than Hollywood shouldn’t affect people’s opinion to go see it.

The film was shown opening weekend at the Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine in Cape Girardeau. In terms of the future, Kanzler says a sequel to “Marshall the Miracle Dog” will be in the works coming up this summer.

Zarah Laurence was a student reporter for KRCU in 2015.
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