THE DOG DOC

A film from the maker of BUCK shows the power of holistic veterinary care.

A new documentary from Cindy Meehl, director of the 2011 film Buck, promises to pose interesting questions about the health and care of our pets. The Dog Doc, which has premiered in select theaters earlier this year follows Dr. Marty Goldstein and his colleagues at their practice in South Salem, N.Y., who have created a mecca for holistic veterinary care and have given hope to scores of previously hopeless animals and their owners.

“When my first film, Buck, came out, everyone asked me what I would do next,” Meehl explains. “I always said I wanted to make a film about a unique veterinarian I know who works miracles. The origins of the Dr. Marty story began 27 years ago when I took my dog, Coco, to Smith Ridge Veterinary Clinic. The other vets who had seen Coco were flummoxed by her illness and high fevers and said there was nothing they could do to save her. She was only 6 years old. I was devastated when I took her, on death’s door, to Dr. Marty. His philosophy resonated in a way that was totally unique and made a lot of sense. I’d never met a veterinarian so positive and full of hope.

“I followed the unusual protocols of homeopathy and supplements Dr. Marty prescribed and watched Coco not only recover, but she started behaving like a puppy again,” Meehl continues. “I truly couldn’t believe it! She lived another 6 years, reaching the age of 12, remarkable for a Shar-Pei. I have been taking my animals to Smith Ridge ever since. In fact, it changed my approach to my own health as well as my animals. It’s such a common sense approach, I applied it to my children, as well.”

Filmed over a two-and-a-half year period, Meehl’s unobtrusive camera highlights the vulnerability of her subjects, both canine and human. The Dog Doc combines the touching stories of families with the hard science of integrative care, painting a complete picture of the dedication and joy of being a veterinarian.

As a founding father of integrative veterinary medicine, Goldstein has decades of experience helping animals with his conventional medical training, complemented by cutting edge alternative therapies.

In case after case, Goldstein’s patients have seen unprecedented results, the implications of which can’t be ignored. With a deeply empathetic philosophy, he offers a vital example of how improving overall health rather than just treating disease can prove transformative.

The Dog Doc asks us to reconsider whether we are over-medicating our pets, ourselves, and our children.

“This story is very close to my heart,” says Meehl. “I am so passionate about the animals in our lives, and I feel this film will save thousands and hopefully make veterinarians more aware of their responsibility to the animals they care for.”