Rescue ME Documentary
In 2005, over 20,000 dogs and cats were brought into the Austin, TX animal shelter. Thanks to rescue volunteers 1800 (9%) of them found new homes.
The rest were humanely killed.
After learning that over 20,000 animals are euthanized in Austin, Texas every year,
Stacy Schoolfield volunteered to foster abandoned animals in her home. This film chronicles her experience, taking viewers
straight to the heart of pet overpopulation’s causes and complexities and examines the costs to individuals
and the community. "Rescue ME" invites viewers to meet rescue volunteers, learn what motivates and challenges
them, and experience the highs and lows of volunteering – from the satisfaction of matching a foster animal
with an adoptive family to the disturbing numbers of adoptable companion animals killed every day due to
overpopulation. The subjects, including writer-songwriter-politician Kinky Friedman, all speak to the
societal costs of our “disposable” culture’s lack of stewardship toward animals. They point out,
that fixing the problem of pet overpopulation and abandonment is bigger than one volunteer, or a
small army of volunteers can fix.
In Austin, TX, over 20,000 homeless dogs and cats are killed (humanely euthanized) each year. At least 50% of
those are not strays; their owners brought them to the shelter because they no longer wanted to care for them.
Nationwide, the number of euthanasias is estimated at over 5 million dogs and cats. Many people see their pets
as disposable and discard them when they're no longer convenient. I thought by rescuing animals from the shelter
and finding them new homes, I could make a difference. Over a period of two years I fostered and rehomed over
50 dogs. During that time, I changed my mind. I made this film to explain why.
The goal of this project is not to show the dark, sad side of animal overpopulation. It is to show that the
problem is too big for one person to solve and hope lies in a society that is educated and informed about
the problem. I want audience members to come away from this film with a greater awareness of the problem
of animal overpopulation, with a motivation to be part of the solution.
- Stacy Schoolfield
WARNING: There are a lot of scam websites that indicate you can view or download the Rescue ME Documentary.
Make sure your anti-virus is up to date as these websites will attempt to download malware onto your computer that will steal your personal information
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Click on the the link below to watch the Rescue ME Documentary online.
 Rescue ME (2005) - Produced and Directed by Stacy Schoolfield
 IMDb entry for Rescue ME and Trailer
 Film News March 4th 2005
Stacy Schoolfield's feature doc Rescue Me, about animal rescue volunteers, including gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman, is one of 10 projects selected for the Working Films at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art residency.
Film News August 5th 2005
Stacy Schoolfield's documentary "Rescue Me," which follows people who rescue homeless dogs, cats, and the occasional tiger, gets its premiere Saturday at 8:15pm at the Dallas Video Film Festival. After she learned that more than 20,000 animals are euthanized every year in Austin, Schoolfield volunteered to foster critters. The film follows her experiences and features an interview with governor wannabe Kinky Friedman, who founded the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in Medina. Schoolfield is also busy these days producing the Kat Candler-directed film jumping off bridges and planning another doc about Austin's homeless people.
 Stacy Schoolfield's blog
Animal Welfare Organizations Featured in Rescue ME
 Town Lake Animal Center
is the largest animal shelter in Central Texas, providing shelter to more than 23,000
animals each year and animal control services to all of Austin and Travis County. A division of the Austin/Travis
County Health and Human Services Department, the shelter is an open-intake facility - no animal will be turned away.
 German Shepherd Rescue of Central Texas
strives to save German Shepherds and German Shepherd mixes from neglect, abuse, and premature death. We give
rescued dogs a chance to have the good life they deserve through rescue, adoption, referrals, and behavior
counseling. We do not sell dogs. We adopt intelligent, sensitive beings into homes where their personalities
and potential will be valued.
German Shepherd Rescue of Central Texas is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. Equipment and
supplies are purchased using the personal funds of our volunteers, or are donated or purchased using
contributions and adoption fees. If you would like to contribute,
please click here.
 EMANCIPET
envisions a world where no cat or dog is ever killed just for being homeless.
We work towards realizing that vision every day, by providing services and advocacy that effectively
and humanely reduce the homeless pet population in our community.
 Austin Feral Cats
Feral cats are domestic cats that have become unaccustomed to human contact. They live in groups (or colonies)
almost anywhere - behind restaurants and shopping malls, under houses, in alleys, beneath piles of brush —
maybe even in your own neighborhood. Most have never experienced positive human interactions.
These animals live on the fringes of human society anywhere there is food and shelter.
If Travis County has 330,000 cats, then almost half of them—that's at least 135,000—are unowned, unculturated,
breeding, free-roaming cats who avoid people, and scrounge for food and a place to sleep.
They're reproducing rapidly! Just two reproducing feral cats can become 12,000 in just five years,
and the Austin-area animal control facilities kill an average of more than one animal each hour,
24 hours a day, 365 days a week. While sterilization rates of owned animals have increased
(as guardians sterilize their own pets), feral populations grow by leaps and bounds.
To achieve the city and county's no-kill goals, we need to address the feral problem as a community.
The Animal Trustees of Austin are no longer operating Austin Feral Cats. For more information on feral cats in Austin see
The Austin Humane Society Feral Cat Program.
70,000 puppies and kittens are born in the United States every day. That is 7 times more than the number of humans.
Only 1 out of 4 of them will find a home.
Nationwide, approximately 5 million homeless dogs and cats are killed in shelters every year because they have no home to go to.
That is an animal being killed every 6½ seconds. Half of these had a home before they ended up on death row.
You can help! Adopt your pet from a Rescue or Shelter and make sure it does not breed!
 Save The Shelter Pets Hundreds of dogs and cats are killed every week because they have no home to go to!
 Chow Chows Needing Homes in Texas
 Pekingese Dogs Needing Homes in Texas
 Cocker Spaniels Needing Homes in Texas
 Pets Needing Homes in Houston, Texas
Shelter Diaries - Dogs Needing Homes at the Animal Shelter in Irving, Texas
 Saint Bernard Rescue of Texas Austin/Houston area, TX.
The Saint Bernard Rescue Foundation of Texas is the Texas chapter of the National Saint Bernard Rescue Foundation, which is the rescue arm of the AKC Saint Bernard Club of America.
E-Mail address: webmaster@rescuemedocumentary.com
Page updated: September 3rd 2025
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