10:30-11AM: Doors are open for theater seating, with Pet Rescue by Judy on-site with some adoptable pups
11AM: Presentation by Dr. Rachelle Yankelevitz of Rollins College
11:20-11:25AM: Q&A with Dr. Yankelevitz
11:30AM: Film begins
1:15-1:25pm: Film ends

Prior to the film screening, enjoy a presentation by Dr. Rachelle Yankelevitz, followed by a brief Q&A. The presentation will explore what makes dogs so special to us. Is it their intelligence, their problem-solving ability, their sheer smarts? No; in fact dogs are not so remarkable in these areas. But they are remarkable at understanding humans, and we love them for that. We’ll review some research from the field of animal behavior which reveals that dogs know us better than we know ourselves. This specialization is why dogs have such an important place in the emotional lives of those who identify as dog people.

Dr. Yankelevitz is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rollins College with a focus on the applied and experimental analysis of human and nonhuman animal behavior. Some areas of interest include using behavior analysis to help children be safe around dogs, to train dogs and their people to live together better, and to help cats become more adoptable. Her courses include Dog is Love: The Science of Human-Animal Interaction, a rat behavior lab, and Comparative Animal Behavior. Her volunteer animal shelter work has included working with every sort of dog imaginable, fostering over 125 cats, and running a foster program. Her own dog, cat, and birds provide lots of fun research ideas and insights.

When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.