A Southern Fix

It is estimated that 3-4 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized every year in the U.S., many never having known a stable home—or any home at all. Filmmaker Michael Samstag's illuminating documentary notes that many of those unfortunate animals live and die in the Southeast. One reason could be the daily mass killings of animals at temporary shelters, such as a Tennessee facility that takes in scores of abandoned, lost, and unwanted dogs and cats every day, who are then killed to make room for tomorrow's incoming. A Southern Fix looks at some regional organizations and people who are trying to reduce pet overpopulation and find solutions, including one woman who drives a large trailer from Georgia to New Jersey and back, carrying loads of animals suitable for adoption (she shares some good ideas about how to put puppy mills out of business). The filmmakers also visit an ASPCA chapter that operates a program to sterilize feral cats in an effort to reduce the feline population. Although it runs a bit too long (with moments of rambling chatter) and has a homespun feel, A Southern Fix never loses sight of its advocacy mission to educate viewers about the haunting national crisis of having too many dogs and cats with nowhere to go. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)