WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.399 --> 00:00:12.560 It's Maria's MutS and Stuff. What a great idea on iHeartRadio. Welcome to 2 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:16.760 Maria's Mutts and Stuff with me. I'm so thrilled because not of course, 3 00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:19.960 he is an award winning filmmaker, he's a producer, he's a director. 4 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:24.920 But he's a returning guest and I love returning guests. It is Stephen Latham. 5 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:29.800 So, Steven, you know we spoke back in twenty eighteen. Do 6 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:33.079 you believe that for the first time. It's crazy. I'm so glad we're 7 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:36.520 back. It's really fun to be to be together again. Absolutely. So 8 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.759 it's very exciting news Shelter Me TV. Because of course I follow you on 9 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:45.039 social media and I keep in touch with everything that's going on. But you 10 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:51.439 have all new episodes that just started recently. Let's talk about about that. 11 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:55.200 Yeah, okay, I'm thrilled to announce, you know, we are. 12 00:00:55.320 --> 00:01:00.880 Previously we'd been working on these episodes and finally they're available to the public. 13 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:06.719 So we have a whole season nine nine new episodes to tell these incredible stories 14 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:11.000 about the human animal bond, remind people the amazing animals at the shelters, 15 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:15.159 and just stories to inspire people and make them fall in love again. Well, 16 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.560 I saw the first episode about Dog Mountain up in Vermont, which I 17 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:23.879 mean I've heard of it for years, from many years ago. One of 18 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:27.079 my cousins went there and kept telling me I must go. And anyway, 19 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.920 I watched the episode, the first episode, and I'll tell you because I 20 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:36.079 lost my dog two months ago. I was sobbing. But it was so 21 00:01:36.560 --> 00:01:41.400 therapeutic and it was just it's such a perfect episode. So let's tell the 22 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:45.359 listeners a little bit about Dog Mountain for those who aren't familiar with it. 23 00:01:46.200 --> 00:01:49.040 Well, Dog Mountain is a magical place. It's in a town called Saint 24 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:55.400 Johnsbury and northern Vermont, and I highly encourage people to make the trip to 25 00:01:55.400 --> 00:02:00.200 make the pilgrimage because it is a beautiful place. What I really want wanted 26 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:05.840 to accomplish with that episode was to explore grief, just like you know, 27 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:08.960 you lost your pet. I actually was on my own grief journey. I 28 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:15.639 had this great Dane mix named Blue who was you know, it was really 29 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.360 just my heart and Soul is just a dog that I was connected to and 30 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:22.840 and he had passed and I you know, was going through you know, 31 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:25.719 just as horrible we all know that we all have feeling who love our pets, 32 00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:30.360 how terrible it is. And I had, you know, been just 33 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:35.479 doing some research and I came across this place in Vermont that's on one hundred 34 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:38.599 and fifty acres and they have in the middle of it, they have a 35 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:44.319 chapel and people come from all over the country, all over the world to 36 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:47.560 go and honor their pet. So they go into the chapel and they'll literally 37 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:54.560 put photos or write poems or hand drawn pictures, anything they'd like to do. 38 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:58.560 They sort of, you know, just remember their pet, and you're 39 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:01.439 you walk into the chapel and it just takes your breath away because there are 40 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:08.199 just thousands upon thousands of notes and images and it's all about love and it's 41 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:13.039 all about you know, what our pets mean to us. And as someone 42 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.680 in the film says, they said, it's the happiest place in the world 43 00:03:15.719 --> 00:03:20.840 to be sad. Perfect. Yeah, And that's what we wanted to accomplish. 44 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:23.719 We wanted to acknowledge that the grief is real and that you can have 45 00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:30.599 sadness and gratitude at the same time. But the cool thing about Dog Mountain 46 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:35.719 is then you walk outside the chapel and dogs are ripping around and then you 47 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:38.560 start laughing and you realize, like these animals, we go through tough times, 48 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:42.599 but man, is it worth it because these animals are a blessing. 49 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:46.919 It's true and I'm pretty sure someone actually even said that it's you know, 50 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:53.479 only if other dog owners, other cat owners, other pet owners understand that 51 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:58.879 bond and how devastating it is when we lose them. And at Dog Mountain, 52 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:02.159 because I'm Yvonne who was there with dog Vinci, who's also been on 53 00:04:02.319 --> 00:04:06.919 Maria's mutts and stuff, and you know, she was hugging someone who was 54 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.560 a stranger who she had just met, who was also there because she had 55 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:15.600 lost her pet. So it's definitely shows that universal bond. And you know, 56 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:19.399 you you show showed that in the film. It just showed all of 57 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:25.079 us that we all share that as pet owners, you know, and that's 58 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:29.319 that's the community that we all we all go through and and you you're when 59 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.439 you're there and you're seeing people and talking to them. I mean, people 60 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:36.839 come up and they they revisit the chapel and you know, they're the walls 61 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:41.519 are so thick with pictures and photos. Is that you know they it's it's 62 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:45.519 like three feet thick of just everybody going in there on their pets. So 63 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:47.759 when you're there, you could spend hours upon hours reading these notes, but 64 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:50.600 you're around other people that have gone through the same thing, right, And 65 00:04:50.680 --> 00:04:55.600 Yvonne, who's such a lovely person, so as you know, having her 66 00:04:55.639 --> 00:05:00.199 on, you know, she had this incredible dog on Long Island named dog 67 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:02.519 Vinci, who could paint, and it was such a special bond that they 68 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:08.319 have, and Dog Vinchi passed away unexpectedly same time when I lost my dog. 69 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.839 So the idea was, I saidy Vonn, you, you know, 70 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:14.839 you need to come and take this journey with me and we'll sort of tell 71 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:18.600 the story through your eyes. And she had just adopted another dog, and 72 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:23.759 again, the beauty of it was not to replace the dog she lost, 73 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:28.279 but if anything, it was it almost like gives people permission to like, 74 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:30.279 this is the best way to honor your pet, considering especially the crisis that 75 00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:34.399 we're in right now with shelters being so overcrowded. Sure that she was able 76 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:40.360 to kind of say it's okay to and another dog needs me now. And 77 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:45.920 she certainly needed another dog because you know that's just something really important for her, 78 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:49.040 and we told part of the story of Dog Mountain with this individual who 79 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:51.800 was going through that grief and how it helped her by going there and to 80 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:57.920 honor Dog Vinci. Absolutely, and it's just it's so amazing that Dog Mountain 81 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:01.720 with the owners who both passed away, but that the community is still running 82 00:06:01.800 --> 00:06:06.800 it, like I love that it is. You know, it's the when 83 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:11.680 when the owners passed away, it was such a loss and the rustees had 84 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.120 to come together and figure out, you know, this this is the place. 85 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:15.920 This is a place worth saving. You know, the this is this 86 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:20.279 was the vision of the owners and they were able to, you know, 87 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:25.600 make it sustainable and you can go there and they have concerts and you can 88 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:28.519 just go if you want to just go hang out and have your dogs, 89 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.040 you know, jump into ponds or walk the trails, or people get married 90 00:06:31.079 --> 00:06:35.480 there. It's it's truly a place of joy. And that's what we wanted 91 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:39.680 to do. We didn't want to have this be an episode of grief that 92 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:44.199 was crippling. We wanted it to be where we acknowledged that pain that there's 93 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:46.000 a lot of people going through that, but you know that we'll we'll get 94 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.120 through this together, absolutely, and you did because also going through it, 95 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:55.839 I I totally felt that, like, okay, I can the crying was 96 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:59.079 good, it was therapeutic, and it was just it was perfect. Was 97 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:02.959 that your first time at Dog Mountain? First time where I ended up putting 98 00:07:02.959 --> 00:07:08.680 a picture of my own dog on the wall. So it was it was 99 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:13.279 a challenging film to make because I was literally you were living. Yeah, 100 00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:16.199 I was living it, and so it was my first time there. So 101 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:20.839 while I was actually experiencing it and going through all the emotions hero making a 102 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:25.040 movie at the same time. So so it was also therapeutic for you as 103 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:30.319 well. Yeah, it's tremendous. I honestly can't say enough good things about 104 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:31.319 about this place, and I really you know, what we try to do 105 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:34.720 with our films is to have it be the next best thing to being there. 106 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:40.040 And kind of the way you explained it where I've shared the film with 107 00:07:40.040 --> 00:07:43.839 people who have lost pets and they found it very helpful because it just it 108 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:48.199 either you know, helped them get through a really difficult moment or they watched 109 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:50.480 it with one of their pets and that might be getting a little older and 110 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:54.959 maybe gave them a little tighter hug. Sure. Sure, And I also 111 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:00.720 think there's something to be said of just knowing you're not alone. I think 112 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:05.680 that's really important to pet owners because especially if you're around people who don't have 113 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:07.560 another pet, and they're always the person or the people who are like, 114 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:11.480 oh well, just get another one, as if it was a couch you 115 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:16.279 know that got torn. But being around other pet owners, it's just it's 116 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:20.800 a it's almost like a grief group in a sense. We're all like this 117 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:24.519 big group and we all get it. So, uh, that episode really 118 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:28.439 conveyed that. So thank you for doing that. Yeah, and I appreciate 119 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:31.240 you saying that, you know, I mean it really, it really is 120 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:33.559 like that. And you know, because grief is so personal for everybody, 121 00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:37.399 there's not there's not like this endpoint, and a lot of people at some 122 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.759 point, you know, don't want to just you know, keep talking to 123 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:41.879 their friends or their family and and and for a lot of people that grief 124 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:46.960 is is personal and private. So when you go to this place, it 125 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:50.480 is just it's understood and it's welcomed, and it's just you know, you 126 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:54.399 can just be yourself and if you want to have a good cry or just 127 00:08:54.440 --> 00:08:58.759 want to sit and just to think about your animal or bring another pet or 128 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.639 meet other people. It's it is such a healthy place to deal with loss, 129 00:09:01.960 --> 00:09:05.919 right. It just it shows that it's okay. Yep, it's okay. 130 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:11.120 So tell me without giving everything away because they haven't aired yet, can 131 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:15.720 we talk about some of the other episodes, because this series has nine episodes, 132 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:18.720 correct, correct, Yeah, you're going to get a different story, 133 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:26.440 and we've got everything from a veterinarian in Los Angeles that goes to skid row 134 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:31.919 and takes care of the pets of homeless people to a story that we filmed 135 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:39.080 in the East Village where a comedy troupe called Must Love Dogs in Comedy does 136 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:45.320 dog friendly shows at a at a coffee shop called Boris and Horton and people 137 00:09:45.399 --> 00:09:48.840 literally can bring their dogs to the show and all the money raise goes to 138 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:52.159 the shelters and rescues in New York City. So it's a really fun episode. 139 00:09:54.200 --> 00:10:00.440 We've got a really cool episode that Kristin Chenowith and it's about She wrote 140 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:03.519 a book called What Will I Do with My Love Today? And it's all 141 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:09.360 about kindness. So we organized during National Volunteer Week across the shelter. We 142 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:11.919 had kids and families go into shelters to read to the animals, and it's 143 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:16.240 a really cool show to kind of say there's lots of things you can do 144 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:20.879 to support your local shelter. If you're not ready to adopt or foster, 145 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.360 there's still ways you can do and the animals really need us, and there's 146 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.919 things that you could do by just going there and spending time with the animals 147 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:33.759 and helping the network them online. So that's a really cool episode. We 148 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:39.720 have another one where it's a grooming academy where underserved people, people that have 149 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:46.039 challenging backgrounds, whether it be substance abuse or homelessness or formally incarcerated, that 150 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:50.720 they're given a free scholarship to go to a grooming academy that's worth seven thousand 151 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:54.600 dollars each and they groom shelter pets to help them get adopted. But if 152 00:10:54.600 --> 00:10:58.720 they graduate, their guaranteed a job to be a professional groomer. So really 153 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:05.759 cool way of second chances for pets. And then we focus on a story 154 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:09.320 on homeless cats of community cats that are living on the streets, and we 155 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:18.519 feature an organization called Fixed Nation in Los Angeles that literally spaes and neuters cats 156 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:22.440 to try to help with the population problem. And it's a really incredible group. 157 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:28.120 And we did a one day filming where the veterinarians did this high volume 158 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:33.120 space hooter and they fixed twenty two cats in one day. Wow, that's 159 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:39.639 amazing an incredible talent from the veterinarians, but also really impact try to overpopulation 160 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:43.480 on the streets. Then we have this really cool stories that take place in 161 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:48.759 Green Bay, Wisconsin where a cop loves animals so much that he stops by 162 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:50.720 the shelter in the morning and then he takes dogs on ride alongs to help 163 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:56.279 them get adopted. That he's got a pop star named Max who while he's 164 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:01.919 on tour, he performs free concerts at shelters and it just it's a real 165 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:05.000 it's a real joy. And that episode is hosted by Paula Abdul. And 166 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:09.919 we also have a story where we did a senior dog adoption event and we 167 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:15.480 show the largest event where photographers from all over the country came to a shelter 168 00:12:15.559 --> 00:12:18.159 and they they took photos of every single pet that was available for adoption to 169 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:24.080 kind of show remind people that these animals are literally just waiting at their she 170 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.200 your local shelter for people to open up their hearts and open up their homes. 171 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:31.000 And now if you ever, if your listener has ever thought about adopting, 172 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:35.000 I begged them to go to their local shelter because now's the time. 173 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:39.080 Yeah, now's the time. So all of these episodes are so varied, 174 00:12:39.159 --> 00:12:43.519 and I'm sure they're all wonderful in their own way, and there's probably I 175 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.799 hate asking you this because they're probably they're all like your children. Did you 176 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:50.679 do you have a favorite of the of the New Nine? Well, so 177 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:56.600 you know each one is what I really love about this series is that they 178 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.600 they're so different. There's this isn't like template that they really you know, 179 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.519 we really go and tell these amazing stories. I'll tell you the two that 180 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:09.320 really that really spoke to me was Dog Mountain for sure, just because that 181 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:13.600 was so deeply personal and I feel like a lot of that kind of came 182 00:13:13.639 --> 00:13:16.519 through that I was, you know, dealing with're dealing with such a sensitive 183 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:20.240 issue, and the producer and director was feeling the same way as the viewers 184 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:24.320 of right right, Yeah, of course. But the one that we did 185 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:28.360 with the the is called Shelter me the street vet. This This got doctor 186 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:33.519 is doctor Kwan Stewart. He had just won the twenty twenty three CNN Hero 187 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:39.559 of the Year Award, and the work that he's doing with homelessness is really 188 00:13:39.639 --> 00:13:43.519 kind of emphasized the type of storytelling that I like to do, which is 189 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:48.559 trying to tackle these larger social issues through companionables. So you know, instead 190 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:52.720 of saying watching a film about homelessness or just talking about the numbers like there's 191 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:58.039 tens of thousands of homeless people, this was so up close and personal on 192 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:01.639 skid Row where the pet was the ridge, and it allowed for just having 193 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.600 conversations, you know, with Bob who's in the film, and just to 194 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:09.919 hear their background, how they you know, they got to be homeless and 195 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:13.519 what life is like on the streets. And we really humanize the story. 196 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:18.200 But it always reminds me it's the animal that's the great connector sure, I 197 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:22.480 think animals are miracles now they are, absolutely, I agree, and they 198 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:26.639 and they bring us together and they also bring out the best in us, 199 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:31.240 and they bring out compassion and kindness and love and empathy, and that episode 200 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.279 sort of embodies on all the things that I that I feel really strongly about 201 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:39.159 without it trying to be preachy. We just kind of show people being good 202 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.080 to each other, right, right, and that's contagious to others as well. 203 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.559 I think when people see that contagious, I firmly believe that. Yeah, 204 00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.240 no, I do, I really do. So let my listeners know 205 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:56.519 how they can watch and see these episodes of shelter Me TV the new ones. 206 00:14:56.080 --> 00:15:01.480 So shelter Me is airing on PBS all over the country, and I'm 207 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:05.240 really grateful to pet Co Love because they make this. They make this possible. 208 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:09.440 In the Tri State area, we are airing on w l i W 209 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:18.159 channel twenty one and beginning on July second, so every Tuesday at five pm 210 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.960 in July and August you'll be able to see all these episodes, and then 211 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:31.240 on NJPB PBS NJPBS it begins airing on Sunday, June thirtieth at seven am, 212 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.279 so it'll be every Sunday at seven am, and then across the country. 213 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:37.120 It's a check your local listings where you can go to our Facebook page, 214 00:15:37.159 --> 00:15:41.960 which is on facebook dot com slash shelter MeTV, so all of our 215 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:46.360 social media is shelter MeTV and we'll list the air dates. But the best 216 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:50.159 news of all is all of these episodes we're talking about will be streaming for 217 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:54.759 free on PBS dot org in the fall. So the previous twelve episodes that 218 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.879 we did in the series, plus these nine new ones that we were talking 219 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.840 about, so twenty one will be on PBS dot org in the fall. 220 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:07.960 That it's totally free to stream on any device. That's awesome. And as 221 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:11.519 we get to a more specific date, you'll let me know and I'll post 222 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:15.000 that and let my listener listeners know as well when the fall date comes. 223 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:19.720 So if that's not all that's been keeping you very very busy, Stephen, 224 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:23.000 because you are a busy guy, and I don't know you to ever be 225 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:30.639 doing nothing like you probably never take vacation. You also have the Mustangs, 226 00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:37.440 America's wild horses, well, so animals. I'm very lucky to combine my 227 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:41.799 two favorite things, which are animals and filmmaking. So I got introduced to 228 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:48.960 the wild world of Mustangs by a friend who had suggested that there was a 229 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:56.960 program where veterans organizations were pairing up wild horses with veterans with PTSD, which 230 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:00.240 I'm really supportive of. Our veterans and have done shelter me stories of out 231 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:03.599 and and I found that intriguing. But when I started doing my research, 232 00:17:03.640 --> 00:17:07.279 I realized that there was a much bigger story. And I set out to 233 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:12.279 tell the definitive story about wild horses in America. And in ninety minutes, 234 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:17.920 we tell you about the history of how you know the wild horse that came 235 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:22.200 to be in modern times, to their backstory, to what's the current situation, 236 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:26.480 to who are some of the groups that are doing something about it. 237 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:33.799 And I was incredibly fortunate to have Robert Redford as my executive producer, as 238 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:40.039 well as Patty Skiolfa, Springsteen and Jessica Springs. Springsteen and and Bruce gave 239 00:17:40.039 --> 00:17:44.279 me a song, So I love that. Oh my goodness, do you 240 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:49.720 realize soundtrack? You know? Because this film, I really think of this 241 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:55.119 film as sort of it's sort of my love letter to America. Yeah, 242 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:57.480 Like I feel like it's sort of we stamp your passport to go to all 243 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:00.839 these places in America that a lot of people just don't go to and remind 244 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.720 people that there's a lot of so much beauty and so much stuff to be 245 00:18:03.720 --> 00:18:08.200 proud of our country. But also emmylu Harris gave me a song. Willie 246 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:12.240 Nelson and Diane Warren wrote an original song. Oh my goodness, that's like 247 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:17.240 phenomenal. But Bruce gave me a song. I'm sorry, I'm like stuck 248 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.680 on that. And you know, it was it was amazing. You know, 249 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:23.039 he had come out with a western, a Western album, and I 250 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:26.359 was waiting for it, and I'm like, because I knew there was a 251 00:18:26.359 --> 00:18:29.880 track on it called Chasin wild Horses, and I'm like, and and you 252 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:30.720 know, for a song to work in a film, you know, it 253 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:36.000 has to lyrically and musically, it has to work. It I honestly couldn't 254 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.440 believe how perfect it was. And and we just have this scene in the 255 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:44.119 movie where you know, we're in Wyoming, it's Magic Hour, and a 256 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:48.839 band of wild horses just literally, you know, runs by us with the 257 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:51.519 cloud kicking up in the sun and it's like we had a drone in the 258 00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:52.880 sky and it was. It was one of these one of those moments that 259 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.400 you'll never forget when you're making a movie, I'm sure. And his song 260 00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:00.000 is set to that, and it's it's pretty uh, it's pretty remarkable. 261 00:19:00.200 --> 00:19:02.720 Well it is, and it's pretty remarkable that you have all of those that 262 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:07.599 cast of characters, all very well known names, to help you and contribute 263 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:11.480 to your film. I mean, that's phenomenal. So, you know, 264 00:19:11.640 --> 00:19:15.599 the one thing I'm so I'm most proud of is that they loved the way 265 00:19:15.680 --> 00:19:21.079 that we approached the storytelling, and that was to me the biggest thing because 266 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:25.240 it's a very complicated story and you know, and you know, I'm sure 267 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.559 a lot of your listeners might not even know that there's still wild horses exist 268 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:33.079 because it's such an sight out of mind issue. And in ten Western states, 269 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:36.880 on our public lands, on land that's managed by the Bureau of Land 270 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:44.000 Management, there are eighty thousand wild horses out there and in captivity when the 271 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:47.039 Bureau of Land Management rounds them up, which is something that you know, 272 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:51.720 we address in the film. There's over sixty thousand that are in government corrals 273 00:19:51.920 --> 00:19:56.319 that are just sort of like feedlots. So we have really large numbers of 274 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:00.839 wild horses. And what we address in the film is not only the magistry 275 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.079 and just how beautiful and you know, what they represent and how they came 276 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:07.160 to be, but there really is a management issue because there's federal law dictating 277 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:10.880 a lot of this. So we sort of cover all this grounds to make 278 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:15.680 sure that people understand the politics, the environmental impact, and all the elements 279 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:22.359 around wildhorses, because a lot of times, you know, the activists tend 280 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.559 to just try to simplify the issue and says, there's so much land out 281 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:29.599 there and let them be free. It's a nice sentiment, but there's federal 282 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:33.359 law that dictates that's not possible. Welcome people to try to change federal law, 283 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:37.720 but you show that, you know, just like with any big issue, 284 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.559 especially in animal welfare, you can't just wish things to be better. 285 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:42.440 If you want to do something, you actually have to roll up your sleeves 286 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:45.880 and do something about it. Do something. It's not a spectator sport, 287 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:48.839 you know, this is a participatory sport that if you want to actually, 288 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:52.920 you know, do good for the animals, you actually have to do something 289 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:56.119 about it. Sure, no, that makes sense, And with your movie, 290 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:59.720 it's like knowledge is power because just like you said, I'm sure many 291 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:03.440 people aren't aware of the wild horses, that they're even out there, or 292 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:07.799 how many the number like eighty thousand, that's more than I would ever think. 293 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:11.200 You know, I realized that I learned that from your trailer, like 294 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:15.000 wow, and I think that's just something that people don't know. For someone 295 00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:21.319 who's listening, how what can they do to help? Besides after they watch 296 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:25.039 your movie? When that because we're going to talk about when they can watch 297 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:29.599 it? But how can because it's it's a topic that people are probably just 298 00:21:29.799 --> 00:21:33.359 learning about now hearing about it, or aren't as familiar as say, as 299 00:21:33.400 --> 00:21:38.440 like a shelter animal. What can you know the average Joe or Jane do. 300 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:45.319 So we just had our premiere in Los Angeles and we had a panel 301 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:48.359 discussion afterwards, and just like me, I didn't know a lot about this 302 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:52.240 issue to begin with, which was realized like, hey, I need to 303 00:21:52.279 --> 00:21:56.839 tell the story and I need to tell it responsibly and properly. And when 304 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:00.759 we did our premiere, you know, over three hundred people were attended and 305 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:03.799 in the panel discussion, nobody left the theater because they wanted to know more. 306 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:07.240 Sure, And that's what the film does is create this foundation of like, 307 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.279 Okay, this is the building blocks to kind of expose you to what 308 00:22:10.359 --> 00:22:12.759 the story is and what sort of the rules of the game are so people 309 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.960 can learn more. But there's there's a few things that people can do if 310 00:22:17.160 --> 00:22:19.839 if they're really interested in the wild horse issue. First of all, it's 311 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:26.240 it's seeking out credible sources of information that are following things politically. That's happening 312 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:29.640 in DC, and that's happening, you know, with the government agencies that 313 00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:33.279 oversee the wild horses. So there are groups like Return to Freedom, which 314 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:37.599 that we we feature in the film, and they do they have a sanctuary, 315 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:41.920 two sanctuaries in California, so they actually bring in wildhorses onto their sanctuary 316 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.000 and they educate children and people can go there. It's not available to the 317 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.240 public where you can literally that's and most people will see wild horses more in 318 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.640 a sanctuary environment than they will in the wild because a lot of these places 319 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:56.079 in Colorado, Wyoming they've had are really difficult to get to. But there's 320 00:22:56.119 --> 00:23:02.079 other places like the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States. They 321 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:07.240 are working diligently on these issues and work with a lot of the different stakeholders. 322 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:11.000 Because one of the things that's again that makes things complicated and things that 323 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:15.440 I'm not particularly you know, enjoying myself, is that on the public lands, 324 00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:18.640 the wild horse I mean, I have so much respect for the mustang, 325 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:22.880 I mean in busting is a magnificent animals, right. But the public 326 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:26.960 lands, which are our lands, were really never taught about this stuff in 327 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:32.119 school. But they're are land. They're mixed use, meaning on that land 328 00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:36.880 you also have recreation, you have hunting, you have other animals, you 329 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:42.039 have other endangered species. You have your ranchers to have grazing rights for cattle, 330 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:45.880 for livestock, cattle and sheep. You have mineral rights, so you 331 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:51.279 have companies that are doing oil and gas drilling. All these things happen on 332 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:55.359 our public land. So that's why I was saying, when you educate yourself 333 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:59.119 for all these groups to understand it, you can't just say, oh, 334 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:03.240 there's millions and millions of akers, just let them be free, because it's 335 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:07.400 really complicated, complicating. They're in the middle of this nexus of things that 336 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:11.440 are less than desirable. Even though, like I said, I have deep 337 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:17.839 respect and appreciation for the wildhorse, and they deserve they deserve better, they 338 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:21.599 deserve better management, and we really need to be doing things right now in 339 00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:25.880 order to preserve them for future generations because things that are happening in Washington, 340 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:30.880 DC are going dictating things for the next ten to twenty years. And what 341 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:36.160 we know for sure is that for the years to come, the plan is 342 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:41.519 to get to round up by helicopter, which everybody hates about twenty thousand wild 343 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.119 horses a year every year, and so it now is the time for people's 344 00:24:45.160 --> 00:24:48.440 voices to be heard. So the last thing I would say about what people 345 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:53.079 can do is they're elected officials, they're congress people, their senators in DC 346 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:57.640 really important just to hear even if you were to phone, calls, emails, 347 00:24:57.720 --> 00:25:02.519 letters to say I care about the wild horse issue, what are you 348 00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:06.279 doing about it? Can you give me any updates? Because every call, 349 00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:11.359 every email is logged, and elected officials, when they hear from their constituents 350 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:14.039 and they know what the issues are they aware of, they keep track. 351 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:18.079 They keep itally all those messages, and with wild horses because most people don't 352 00:25:18.119 --> 00:25:21.400 know about them because it is so out of sight, out of mind. 353 00:25:21.799 --> 00:25:27.000 It's usually an issue that is much lower on their priorities. And that shows 354 00:25:27.079 --> 00:25:32.319 what happens legislatively when trying to protect the wild horse. Right, okay, 355 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:37.000 so well, the first step for the listeners, our listeners will be to 356 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:41.559 watch your documentary. So when will and where will they be able to see 357 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:47.759 the Mustangs America's wild Horses. So we have the We're just starting to get 358 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:49.000 our air dates, which is very, very exciting. So it's going to 359 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:55.559 be on PBS for broadcasts on television in the New York area. We just 360 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:57.400 got those in the last couple of days. So we're going to be showing 361 00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:04.039 on Channel any W ANY channel thirteen on Sunday, July twenty first at six 362 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:08.960 thirty pm, and then on WLIW channel twenty one. We're going to be 363 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:15.119 in primetime on Thursday, August twenty second at eight pm. Nice and then 364 00:26:15.480 --> 00:26:22.079 PBS has a World Channel and it's just you have to have to look for 365 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:26.160 it, but it's actually a standalone channel and we are airing across the country 366 00:26:26.920 --> 00:26:32.880 at one unified time on Monday, August twenty sixth at eight pm Eastern Time. 367 00:26:33.359 --> 00:26:37.200 The World Channel Monday August twenty sixth at eight pm, but we'll be 368 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:42.279 airing all over the country. Our social media handle is the Mustangs Film, 369 00:26:42.359 --> 00:26:47.519 so plural the Mustangs Film, and we'll also be streaming for free on PBS 370 00:26:47.559 --> 00:26:51.400 dot org in the fall. Wow I love this, So that will be 371 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:55.720 step one for the listeners who aren't aware of anything with the Mustangs. But 372 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:00.519 this is your this is your first assignment is to watch the film. So 373 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:03.960 Steven, I you know, I'm so fascinated by everything that you do. 374 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:08.720 I'm so I admire you so much. I don't even want to ask you 375 00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:12.400 what's next for you because I feel like everything is like exploding and blowing up 376 00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:15.839 right now. I'm a good have something to share if you'd like to hear 377 00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:23.000 it, of course, of course I do. Tell me I'm finishing soon 378 00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:29.200 principal photography on a new episode of Shelter me that that's going to be relevant 379 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:30.559 to every single one of us, all of your listeners, you meet, 380 00:27:30.599 --> 00:27:38.039 all of us. So it's an incredible story about the latest cancer treatments for 381 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:42.799 dogs. Wow. Literally, we're following several clinical trials that are being done 382 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:48.960 for cancer treatments for dogs. But but here's the kicker is these treatments that 383 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:56.119 we're following which are having dramatic impact on like with immunotherapy on everything from osteosarcoma 384 00:27:56.279 --> 00:28:00.440 to mouth tumors to all kinds of tumors and dogs that get and you know, 385 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:06.160 all of us dog owners have experienced dogs getting cancer. So the treatments 386 00:28:06.279 --> 00:28:11.039 are exciting, are coming are going to be available to us regular people soon. 387 00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:15.440 But these treatments what they're learning from the dogs, as the dogs are 388 00:28:15.640 --> 00:28:22.720 literally healing or extending their life, are now being applied to human clinical trials. 389 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:26.920 But when I see animals being miracles that you know, literally the clinical 390 00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:32.160 trials that are being done with dogs have already moved into human clinical trials, 391 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:37.359 and it's only because of what we learned with the dogs, and the entire 392 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:41.880 cycle is being expedited. So these dogs are not being experimented on, they're 393 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:47.799 getting really the most advanced clinical trial treatments, and then the ones that are 394 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:52.599 showing to be really successful are moving quickly into human clinical trials. And in 395 00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:59.720 this episode, we're not only going to be showing dogs that had osteosarcoma that 396 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:03.960 have less than a year life expectancy that are now seven years later after treatment 397 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:07.519 are living their best life, but also humans who have had osteo sarcoma, 398 00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:15.160 which also have a very grim outcome, people that are alive today and living 399 00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:19.640 their life cancer free because of these treatments. So we're in the middle of 400 00:29:21.240 --> 00:29:26.920 an incredibly exciting episode that will be actually airing on PBS in January of twenty 401 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:30.599 twenty five. Wow. Okay, so we are going to talk again before 402 00:29:30.640 --> 00:29:34.640 that airs. How's that need? Yes? Indeed? All right? Well, 403 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:37.519 Stephen Latham, thank you so much for your time, for everything that 404 00:29:37.559 --> 00:29:41.319 you do. The world is a better place because of you. Trust me 405 00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:44.839 on that one. And I really truly mean that, and I thank you 406 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:49.200 and keep doing what you're doing because you're teaching us, you're helping us. 407 00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:53.119 I mean this whole thing with dogs and cancer. I mean honestly, my 408 00:29:53.240 --> 00:29:59.400 dog lived eleven weeks because he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. So that's right, 409 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:03.400 passed away from osteosarcoma. And and these these treatments that are happening right now, 410 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:07.480 are are are changing the game. Wow, Maria, I just want 411 00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:10.880 to thank you for being a hero to the animals as well, and uh 412 00:30:11.039 --> 00:30:15.359 and your listeners for caring. It's it's a it's a big deal, and 413 00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:19.160 we we really need more people to kind of we we share the planet with 414 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:22.279 the animals and we need to continue every day to see, uh do a 415 00:30:22.279 --> 00:30:26.200 little bit more kindness for the animals. You're absolutely right, Well, thank 416 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:29.480 you and thank you It was a delight as always, Maria, I really 417 00:30:29.480 --> 00:30:30.079 appreciate it.