Dialogue Sample: Polished

Dialogue

Synopsis: An animal lover by the name of Peta volunteers at a local animal shelter. After a wonderful first day, Peta is excited to share his joy with the rest of his family. He then learns that the shelter he works at does not have the “no kill” policy. During a sit down with his manager, he learns about slaughterhouses and the unjustness and cruelty that happens in them.  

Dad: Welcome home son, how was your first day?
Peta: Hey pa, it was great! It was so awesome to meet so many people who share the same love and compassion for animals as I do.
Dad: That’s good to hear, son.
Peta: Yeah, today they had me change the food and water bowls for all the cats and dogs.
Dad: That sounds like a lot of work.
Peta: It wasn’t bad at all, I had the chance to interact with all of the cats and dogs! It was a little sad though, there were some animals that were very old. There were some that were hurt, too.
Dad: Oh yeah?
Peta: Yeah.. I wonder if they’ll ever get adopted.
Dad: Well son, chances are if the shelter does not have a “no kill” policy, they’ll most likely put those animals to rest.
Peta: gasps What?! That’s insane. I’ve never heard of that..
Dad: It is insane, son.. but it’s true. There are many shelters that resort to killing animals due to health issues or even overcrowding in the shelters. ¹
Peta: Are you kidding me?! I’m going to do some research and look into what I can do to help stop this..Then I’m going to see if I can speak to the owner of the shelter tomorrow.
Dad: Good idea son, just make sure you do your research thoroughly..

The Next Day..

Peta: Hello, sir. May I have a moment of your time?
Manager: Sure, have a seat.
Peta: So I was talking with my father the other night, and he brought it to my attention that this shelter might possibly NOT have a “no kill” policy. Is this true?
Manager: Well son, I don’t want to break your spirits because I know how much you love helping out here. Unfortunately, this shelter does have a euthanasia policy.²
Peta: gasps Why don’t you have a “no kill” policy? It’s wrong to kill animals!
Manager: I understand your concerns, but there are many reasons as to why we do what we do here. Even though we have to kill animals, we do a great deal in reuniting strays with new families.
Peta: I know how many pets we reunite daily. There is nothing that can justify the right to kill off animals!
Manager: Yes, in a sense it does. Unfortunately, there are many animals that enter the shelter who are sick, aggressive, or suffering from an injury. The chances of these dogs and being adopted are little to none.
Peta: I understand that there are animals who are beyond treatable. I understand the need for euthanizing an animal if it will help end their live in a painless way. However, if you euthanize an animal that has a treatable condition such as diabetes, I must ask why would you advocate such a thing?
Manager: We are very limited in resources. It is very tough for us to sustain all of these animals that are brought in daily. Roughly only 25% of the animals that enter our shelter are adopted, you need to understand that how many animals we shelter here yearly.³
Peta: There are other ways to deal with overcrowding. Killing animals off isn’t the answer.
Manager: As I said before, we are very limited in resources. Our staff is short, and our funding is even shorter. ⁴ I have my hands tied here, kid. What are you suggesting?
Peta: I found out that approximately 15.8% of dogs that are in shelters are reunited with their owners. By spreading this awareness, owners will take higher measures to make sure their dogs can be properly identified. Indoor pets need proper identification too because there is a chance of them escaping as well.Manager: Okay, that would help lower the number of strays I take in. But I still have plenty of sick and injured animals. How can I avoid having to euthanize them? If we have an animal that is sick and is rejecting treatment, what can we do?
Peta: There is also something called a “no kill equation”. By transferring animals to other rescue groups, allowing volunteers to foster animals, and even taking some of the animals off site, you can greatly increase the amount of strays that get adopted. You will be able to allow some strays to seek out further treatment if your shelter cannot provide it.⁵
Manager: I see.
Peta: As for lack of funds and raising awareness, you can attend different conferences and campaigns that take place all year round. You can also raise awareness by reaching out to the community. ⁶
I honestly believe if you allow the shelter to be open to the community, more and more people will come in to visit, take care of, and even adopt these animals! Killing them is just wrong. It’s wrong to take a life, sir.
Assistant: Hello Manager and Peta. I was walking by the office and I couldn’t help but overhear a little of your conversation. The “no kill policy”, right? Very interesting.
Peta: Yeah, it’s wrong to kill animals.
Assistant: Yes, I understand where you’re coming from Peta. But you must understand, animals that are euthanized are killed humanely. ⁷There is little to no suffering when an animal is properly euthanized.
Peta: It doesn’t matter! You are ending a life! It is considered slaughter!!
Assistant: Tell me this, Peta: Are you a vegetarian?
Peta: What? No, I’m not.
Assistant: Are you aware of what happens in slaughter houses across the country on a daily basis?
Peta: Yeah, I guess I do.
Assistant: I don’t think you truly grasp what happens. Every day, animals are tortured. They’re slaughtered in order to meet the increasing demands of meat.
Peta: But it’s legal, and painless.
Assistant: No Peta, you’re wrong. Animals in slaughter houses are severely mistreated. They are beaten, boiled, and dismembered. A lot of the times the animals are fully conscious and aware of what’s happening. That’s not even half of the horror behind slaughter houses.⁸ 
Peta: I know what you’re saying, but this is entirely different.
Manager: How so, Peta? Here at this shelter, we euthanize animals that have a very low chance of being adopted or living a healthy life. We end their lives peacefully, whereas in a slaughter house innocent and healthy animals, young and old, are tortured and sold for food.
Peta: This is unfair. What do I do?
Manager: I understand what your frustration, and I’ve taken your words of concern into consideration.. I think I need to open this shelter to the community more, and accept more help. However, I do think you need to do more research on slaughter houses, and maybe find ways to help the cause. Thank you so much for your advice, I’ll be sure to see what I can do in regards to enforcing the “no kill” policy.

 



¹ Barrett, Claudia. The Blade. Commitment to Saving Animals Called Key at D.C. Talks. http://www.toledoblade.com web. 1 August, 2011.


² No Author, Animal Shelter Euthanasia. Stop Animal Abuse – Fact Sheet. http://www.americanhumane.org web. No Date


³ Toback, Andrea. Advocacy for Animals. Animal Shelters and the No Kill Movement. http://www.advocacy.britannica.com web. 14 January, 2008


⁴ McNeal, Jill. Animal rescue volunteers question lack of funding in rural counties. http://www.wate.com web. 10, November 2013


⁵ Mackey, Jeff. No-Kill Animal Shelters the Wrong Way to Go - PETA. http://www.opposingviews.com


⁶ No Author. Shelters and Resources: Frequently Asked Questions. The Humane Society of the United States.  27, October, 2014. web. http://www.humanesociety.org


⁷ L., Brenda. At Peace - What is Euthanasia? 2014 http://www.atpeacepeteuthanasia.com


⁸ The Slaughter House: The Horrifying Cruelty. web. http://www.anima-rights-action.com