Le Sauvetage (The Rescue) featuring The Olate Dogs, Winners of America’s Got Talent
The Olate Dogs –
America’s Got Talent Grand Prize Winners 2012; photo courtesy Wire Image
When it comes to dog rescue, I’ve often heard the question, “Who rescues who?” Pets bring so much to our lives that I don’t think there is an answer, except to say we rescue each other. I was fortunate to be invited to a sneak preview of a very special short film called Le Sauvetage (The Rescue) at Global Pet Expo last week. The film features The Olate Dogs, who won America’s Got Talent in 2012. The natural pet food company, Halo, Purely for Pets, teamed up with the Olate Dogs to create this 6-minute gem.
Taking a pic w/The Olate Dogs, Nicholas & Richard
Who are the Olate Dogs?
You might remember them; they are a group of very talented dogs who were taught to perform tricks (some of them complicated) by owner and Olate family patriarch, Richard. Olate first developed his act on the streets of his native Chile, when he was just a poor 12 year old boy. He’d rescue stray street dogs, teach them tricks and include them in his amateur show. Many years later, he has realized his dream of becoming a professional dog act. Today, his son Nicholas and wife, Rebecca are part of the performing team, and all three continue to save dogs from shelters, training them to become part of their professional troupe. I shy away from the circus and don’t go to zoos, because I don’t like animals, often abused and kept in terrible situations at these attractions, being used to entertain us. However, the Olates seem to really love these dogs, and they look happy performing. These are, truly, second chance stories. It’s very inspiring to watch.
Brief synopsis of the film:
Expanding on the theme of who rescues who, Le Sauvetage takes place in Paris, and has subtitles. Why Paris? It’s a magical place…romantic and charming, the perfect setting for this little story. And, Parisians love love their dogs! The film, directed by Peter McEvilley (The House Bunny, Last Vegas, Alias), is about finding love, companionship, and your true destiny. It tells the story of a lonely, single guy and a very shy, single girl, and how a street dog couple find a way to bring them all together. Nicholas Olate is the male lead in the film, which is dedicated to all animal shelters and the people who work tirelessly at them helping animals find loving homes.
Le Sauvetage is garnering so many fans, that it has been selected to open the Sonoma Film Festival on April 2, 2014. I urge you to watch the film. It brought a tear to my eye and made me smile.
The Performance:
After the screening, Richard and Nicholas, who’d brought four of The Olate Dogs with them, demonstrated what these super talented pups could do in a short performance. The audience erupted in wild applause, and the doggies smiled.
The Conga Line
Hope you enjoyed the film as much as I did. Do you have a Who Rescued Who story? Share it with me below.
Until next time…
