California Ten

2008-11-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,
Our project about the stray dogs in Romania and the people who help them has a new name: California Ten!
We have now wrapped production and completed a short trailer we are shopping around town. Keep your paws crossed!

Rocky the Pet Therapy Dog

2008-09-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

Recently Producer Eva Sippel received an email from the Schriber family about our pup Cornell. Here is what they had to say:

Hi Eva,

I am the owner of one of the puppies you have brought back from Romania. His name was Cornell at adoption and now it is Rocky. We are about to join an animal therapy program at a local shelter. Rocky is perfect for that kind of work - he is full of love and sweetness! I know people we will be visiting will love to know his story!

"Dream no small dreams for they have
no power to move the hearts of men."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe~

Vier Pfoten

2008-06-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Austrian animal welfare organization, Vier Pfoten (Four Paws) recently issued a news release about their work in Romania.

For years, Vier Pfoten has been working to reduce the number of stray dogs in Romania by offering free sterilization and vaccination services.

Recently, Vier Pfoten turned their attention to a zoo in Braila, Romania where it was discovered several big cats were living. Malnourished and living in dire conditions, the cats were transferred to the care of Vier Pfoten. Two weeks ago, the cats were successfully transferred to Lionsrock, a big cat sanctuary in South Africa.

Read the entire article here.

Act Locally

2008-04-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

When not furiously working away on their documentary, Eva Sippel and Molly Stretten can be found volunteering at their local animal shelter. The Volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter is a dedicated group of 60+ volunteers that foster kittens, socialize stray dogs, publish a newsletter and work community related events.

The Burbank Animal Shelter currently has a number of animals looking for a new home. Check out the website and meet your new best friend today!

Personal Training Anyone?

2008-02-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends and Supporters,

If you have been thinking about working out, becoming fit and finally living up to your New Year's resolution, well... have I got the person for you!

Kristen Dusold is our Director's personal trainer and when she heard about our documentary, she was willing to offer her sessions to our loyal supporters and donate a portion of the proceeds to our post production fund. The promotion runs until March 31st!

Kristen is a great work out coach and we appreciate her willingness to help out with our film about the stray dogs in Romania. Please visit Kristen's website for more information about her workout program. Tell her the Schnuffie Team send you and enjoy staying fit!

Act I

2008-01-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2008!

We started the year by diving deep into the post production process, having finished act one and starting act two of our documentary about the stray dogs in Romania.

Paul, Molly and I are excited about the film, confirmed in our opinions that it is not only going to be an important film to see, but also an exciting movie to watch.

As we make our way through the footage, connecting stories and remembering the hard times as well as the joy we experienced while working together in a foreign country, I feel compelled to yet one more time thank everybody involved.

Thank you to the team that went to Romania, thank you to the crew that shot the footage and thank you to the many supporters, all of you, that have been supporting this project for quite some time and not given up on us.

We are now on the homestretch, and as any marathon runner will tell you, keep the pace and keep on running and you will get to the finish line.

And that is exactly what we are going to do.

Thank you.
-Eva

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-17T14:22:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,

It's been a while since we updated the blog but now that we are nearing the end of 2007, I thought I would write a new entry.

After Molly and I finished the general lay out and structure of our documentary, we were waiting for Paul to finish a job he had started in Spain....and we were waiting and waiting...until, finally last month Paul finished the project: "Hidden Camera" a movie starring Dean Cain and soon to be released on DVD!

Now we are back in the editing room, making our way through the first act. Our hopes for finishing the entire film by the end of the year are dminishing a bit but we are working as much as we can, while still trying to take on work that actually pays our bills.

The good news is, that we shot good material and have a good story.

Thank you to all of you for your patience and continous support in this long and difficult process we call independent film making. Molly, Paul and I are looking forward to sharing the final product with you soon.

Happy Holidays!

Eva

Editing Begins

2007-09-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings Friends-

Good news! Team Schnuffie is ready to begin the editing process. According to Director and Editor Paul Carlin, editing will begin within the next two weeks. The story outline is complete and we are excitied to move on to the next phase of our documentary. Keep checking back for more editing updates.

Animal Wellness Magazine

2007-08-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

In the current issue of Animal Wellness Magazine, you will find an article about our documentary on page 76.

Read the Article.

Thank you Animal Wellness Magazine for bringing attention to the stray dog problem in Romania!

Cowabunga

2007-07-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

Cowabunga Dudes!

My name is Rui (formerly known as Barney). I was one of the 13 pups that the Schnuffie crew rescued from Romania. I was adopted by Marilyn and I lived with a bunch of other animals in Fallbrook, California. Now I call Hawaii my home. Can you believe it? From the streets of Galati to the beaches in Hawaii. It's good to be a dog!

Romanian Hearts

2007-05-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Blog Readers,

As Molly and I make our way through hours and hours worth of Romanian footage, we often come across shots of the dangling hearts our busdriver had in the front window in our Rock n' Roll bus. They were red, fluffy and said I love you on them.

Back in Romania, they struck me as funny. When I got on the bus in the morning, they would be the first thing I noticed. At the end of the day they seemed to say good bye to all our team members as we disembarked. I never thought of them much except that they seemed out of place. We had an insane amount of work to do, dogs to spay & neuter and a movie to shoot. It was a gritty, fast paced world. What were those fluffy hearts doing there?

But now, as I am trying to think of an open for our movie, it is those very visual striking red hearts that keep dangling in my mind as the perfect symbol of what our trip and this movie are all about: Love!

That's what got us there and that's what the Romanian street dogs taught us.

And suddenly the red hearts don't seem so out of place anymore. Instead, rather perfectly placed. Leading our team to complete our mission and leading me to the open of our film.

Eva Sippel
Producer

Meet Claudiu Iosim

2007-04-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Our friend Claudiu Iosim is the Founder and Executive Director of Animed Arad, a nonprofit animal welfare organization in Arad, Romania. Animed Arad was established in September 2001 and is supported entirely by donations. Their purpose is to reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens by running a spay/neuter program.

Currently an Environmental Engineer, Claudiu has decided to attend Veterinary College in October. Claudiu will be spending time in California later this month to get a jump start on his education by attending meetings and observing procedures with a veterinarian.

Post Production Update

2007-03-19T22:57:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy March!

Everyone at team Schnuffie hopes you had a Happy St. Patrick's Day with plenty of green beer and corned beef!

We would like to give you a quick update on our documentary. . . .

Eva and Molly have been furiously reviewing all of the footage (we're talkin' about 90+ hours of material to review folks) to create a comprehensive outline. The ladies have been meeting 2-3 times per week and they are making substantial headway. The goal is to have a rough draft within the next few months.

Stay tuned for more details!

El Director

2007-02-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

Our very own Paul Carlin is currently on location in Barcelona!

Paul joined Drimtim Entertainment on the shooting of their upcoming action film Hidden Camera, which is set in Spain.

When asked about his first day of production, Paul informed us he was scouting rooftops on the streets of Barcelona in preparation for a helicopter shoot. "The idea is to emulate a high-tech satellite view of a foot chase. Later, I will be compositing the aerial footage onto actual satellite imagery and polishing it off with Hollywood production value."

Have a great time in Spain Paul!

Watch the You Tube report Paul sent us from Barcelona.

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all our special friends, who have been steady supporters of our film: Out of Control: Changing the World one Dog at a Time, a dogumentray about the stray dogs in Romania and the Californian volunteers who are trying to help them.

Your involvement makes us feel loved and supported in our endeavour and most of all, it fuels us to continue our work, so that one day our film will shed light on a dark problem and out of control.......will become under control....!

Nobody can do it alone, but I feel confident that as a group, we can make a difference!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

Eva, Lina and the Schnuffie Team

Read about RAR

2007-01-24T17:11:00.000-08:00

Our friend Nancy Janes of Romania Animal Rescue sent us the following email and we would like to share it with you.

We are thrilled to announce that we appear as "Rescuer of the Week" at the Best Friends Society website.

Meet Tamra and Jill

2007-01-24T16:49:00.000-08:00

For those of you attending the fashion show and movie screening for A.P.E. Action on February 11, be sure to say hi to Tamra and Jill (pictured here with Schnuffie Producer Eva Sippel on the right). These ladies work for A.P.E. Action and are responsible for the evenings entertainment.

A.P.E. Action

2007-01-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

Learn more about Animals, People & Environment Action (A.P.E. Action) a non-profit right here in Los Angeles.

Our group is a non profit organization committed to promoting change through education. We believe in teaching moral and ethical values in regard to animals, people, and the environment. Our goal is to raise public awareness and instill responsibility for actions that can help build a more compassionate world.

Save the Date!

2007-01-15T22:05:00.000-08:00

Come join us for an evening of entertainment, free food and a fashion show!

When: February 11
Where: The Aura Night Club in Studio City
Time: 7pm til close

Schnuffie hooked up with Animals, People & Environment Action - APE Action a non-profit group, whose goal it is to promote change through education. Take a sneek peak into our documentary and watch APE Action's feature film Diva Dog starring Linda Blair, Debra Wilson Skelton (Mad TV), Kelli McCarty (NBC's Passions), Jordan Ladd (Cabin Fever), James Madio (Band of Brothers) and Adrienne Frantzand.

Check out the invitation for more information. See you on the 11th!

Fearless Director

2006-12-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

Risking life and limb, our fearless Director Paul Carlin traverses up the daunting mountain shown below to capture the best shot. Battling 50 m.p.h. winds, frigid temperatures and flying debris (including the occasional pesky tumbleweed), Paul conquers the elements and finds success!

The Hostess with the Mostess

2006-12-15T00:16:00.000-08:00

Hostess, fearless volunteer and occasional boom operator, the Schnuffie crew would like to give a special thank you to Marilyn Gale for all of her hard work on our documentary. We also wish Marilyn and Rua (our Romanian dog formerly know as Barney) the best of luck at their new home in Hawaii.

Pup Reunion

2006-12-14T23:07:00.002-08:00

During the weekend of December 2nd, the Schnuffie crew traveled to San Diego to visit a few of our Romanian pups.

First on our stop was a visit to Mia and the Bath family. A tiny, black puppy in Romania, Mia is now a medium-sized dog with endless energy. She enjoys daily walks and frequent visits to dog beach with Mackenzie, Ryan and Kevin Bath.

We also visited our boy Fred and the Keeney family. We were happy to see that Fred is no longer the skinny dog that we found homeless in Romania. Well-fed, Fred keeps the Keeney's busy with his happy spirit and vigor!

Finally, we drove to a small town outside of San Diego where we reconnected with Billy Bob and the Higbee's. Billy Bob has grown up and out, and has a fabulous life with his dog companion Ruby and several horses. A special thank you to Cathy Higbee for the delicious chicken wings and vanilla cupcakes. They really hit the spot!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

On behalf of everyone at Schnuffie Productions, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

To our friends Karl and Marlies Sippel who flew all the way from Germany to celebrate Thanksgiving with our Producer and Director: Welcome to the other side of the International Pork Line! Unfortunately, the only pork you will find today is a pigskin thrown in many football games.

Go Lions!

Kasper the friendly dog

2006-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Our Producer Eva Sippel and Director Paul Carlin wish to share the following. . . . .

To all of you who have known our wonderful friend Kasper, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Kasper has passed away. Paul and I were both with him and he was in my arms as he was crossing over.

Kasper and I found each other when he was only three months old and I was 29. He changed my life and tought me about love, responsibility and taking care of someone. Lessons that made me a better person, and lessons that I am grateful for. I owe a lot to him and Kasper will always live in my heart.

The picture is from the day of our last Garage Sale, which happened to be Kasper's last day as well.

Garage Sale Success

2006-11-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

A big Schnuffie thank you to all of those who donated or participated in our recent garage sale!

We raised just over $800 thanks to the support of our friends like Melissa Kai, Cynthia Cavanaugh, Angela Ross and Tania Cooper. Our garage sale included fabulous items such as jewelry, clothing, fax machines and a comfy-cozy IKEA futon that Eva, Silisha and Molly decided to rest on.

If you couldn't make this garage sale, don't worry......we promise to have more in the near future!