St. Louis' Marshall The Miracle Dog Getting the Hollywood Treatment
On April 27, nearly 2,000 people packed into the auditorium at Clayton High School. Each and every one of them was vying for a spot in an upcoming movie, set to be filmed in and around St. Louis this summer. The subject of this buzzworthy pic? Well, it’s none other than local hero Marshall the miracle dog.
Although he’s now made it all the way to the silver screen, Marshall’s life did not begin under such fabulous conditions. His plight was one that is shared by thousands of dogs all over the country, but with the unconditional love of his human compatriots and his courageous fight to beat the odds, Marshall’s story became worthy of the Hollywood treatment.
In September of 2010, Marshall was rescued by the Humane Society of Missouri after several complaints were received about a potential animal hoarding situation.
When he was rescued, Marshall was considered one of the most dire cases of all the animals seized during the raid. He had numerous bite marks and scars all over his body as a result of having been attacked by other dogs in competition for the limited amount of food that the animals were given. Even worse, one of his front legs was broken and he had a hole the size of tennis ball on the side of his face.
Marshall was rushed into surgery and, after dying on the operating table, was resuscitated by a team of veterinarians and technicians who did not want to give up on the little yellow lab. After two months of rehabilitation, a 3-legged Marshall was adopted by Cynthia Willingbrock, who became inspired by his willingness to love after enduring so much pain.
Cynthia started with sharing Marshall’s story with local children who have endured abuse and pain. She then wrote a book call Marshall the Miracle Dog, which is now being turned into a major motion picture.
Marshall’s St. Louis Home Set to be the Backdrop for His Amazing Story
The film, which begins shooting in June 2014, will be shot entirely in St. Louis, the community that supported Marshall and has become his forever home.
“We are thrilled to be able to cast this film in St. Louis, the place that Marshall calls home,” said casting director Carrie Houk. “There’s such an outstanding pool of talent here.”
The film is set to revolve around Finn, a twelve-year-old boy who is targeted by bullies at his new school. Finn finds a kindred spirit in Marshall, who is being held by an animal hoarder. The two friends then find ways to rescue each other out of their deplorable situations, and teach others about forgiveness and courage in the process.
Local filmmakers Jay Kanzler and Chris Benson have been tapped to work on the movie as director and director of photography respectively.
For assistance with dog training in St. Louis, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re a local company who offers daycare, boarding and canine training programs for pet owners in the St. Louis and St. Charles areas.
Here’s The Story featured on KSDK St Louis with a great video about: http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/333411/3/Marshall-the-miracle-dog-Happy-ending-follows-rescue