The staff is also forced to deal with situations such as animals who have a history of aggression, and if it is ethical to keep attempting to place that dog in a home.

In 1993 she bought a failing boarding kennel, Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption in upstate New York which serves as the setting for the documentary where she promotes and carries out behavioral and temperament assessments.

[3] Cynthia Wade works out of New York City and Massachusetts offices and has directed seven award-winning documentaries, all known for being intimate and emotional.

She received a BA cum laude from Smith College and a Master's degree from Stanford University in Documentary Filmmaking.

[4] In a 2003 interview, Wade said that she decided to direct Shelter Dogs because she was "interested in doing a film about ethics, where there were no easy answers."

She admitted that before the project she saw animal euthanasia in black and white terms, but throughout filming learned that temperament tests are given to ensure dogs are suitably adoptable.