Ephrata, PA : The acclaimed documentary “A Dog Named Gucci,” from writer/director/producer Gorman Bechard, will make its east coast premiere at The New Haven Documentary Film Festival on Sunday, June 7 at 7PM at the Whitney Humanities Center, 
53 Wall St, New Haven, CT. Admission is free of charge but donations of pet food and toys, to benefit Friends of the New Haven Animal Shelter, are welcome.
He was hung by his neck, punched repeatedly, doused with lighter fluid, and set afire. That should have been the last thing a ten-week old puppy named Gucci would ever experience. His last contact with humans. His final moments of life.
But Doug James, standing on his porch nearby, heard the puppy’s cries and ran to help. He scared away the cowardly thugs who had perpetrated this heinous crime, and at the request of Gucci’s 15-year-old runaway owner, took the dog in for the night.
Thus began a 16-year odyssey of devotion and perseverance.
When Gucci was rescued by Doug, it seemed impossible that the badly burned pup would make it through the night. But Gucci, a Chow-Husky-mix, would live for sixteen years as Doug’s companion. As Gucci recovered, Doug did everything in his power to see that the dog’s three assailants were punished. However, the laws in Alabama were not on Gucci’s side. At worst the guilty would receive slaps on the wrists. That was not enough in the eyes of Doug James.
Together with local legislators, and with Gucci always faithfully by his side, Doug would see the “Gucci Bill” passed, changing the laws in Alabama and making domestic animal abuse a felony. He would witness Gucci go from being a survivor . . . to a rock star.
The film is a feature-length documentary that will bring the amazing story of Gucci and Doug James to life: from that horrible night of abuse, to the numerous operations to repair Gucci’s severely burned eyelids, to the legislation passed in his name to help prevent such a thing from ever happening again.
“A Dog Named Gucci” is a production of What Were We Thinking Films. Lynn Webb, Jay Smales, Scott Hudson, Brandon McCaw, Kimberly Ventre, and Kevin Carvell serve as executive producers. Kristine Bechard serves as producer. Music is provided by Dean Falcone. The film was produced, edited, written, and directed by Gorman Bechard.
More information on “A Dog Named Gucci” and The New Haven Documentary Film Festival can be found at: adognamedgucci.com and nhdocs.com