New short film shows puppy’s journey to join ranks of guide dogs at local organization

With four short legs and a bright yellow coat, a pup named Pip is ready to take over your screen in an endearing short film featuring the animated puppy and a familiar local organization.

The short film premiered Wednesday at the Lakewood Ranch Cinema with its own “celebrity” appearance.

Southeastern Guide Dogs, based in Palmetto, used the short film as a chance to creatively tell the organization’s story, channeling the stories of its own successful dogs. Pip, the star of the short film, represents the puppies raised and trained at Southeastern Guide Dogs who are later matched with those who need their services.

It’s the hope that the four-minute film will bring greater awareness and in turn, more participants and supporters for the organization, as they rely entirely on private donations.

Fair warning, it will probably give you a nice feel-good cry session. The film can be viewed online at Pipfilm.com. For now, that’s the only place to see it, but Leslie Rowe, marketing writer for Southeastern Guide Dogs, said they are in the process of getting the film in front of other audiences.

Pip, a small yellow Labrador, enters “Canine University,” eager to become a guide dog.

There are challenges along the way, but don’t worry, she finds her own way to overcome them — and we’re not about to spoil the ending by saying how.

There’s also a version of the video with an audio description so those with vision loss can experience Pip’s story, too.

But it gets better.

There’s a real-life puppy named Pip who is currently in training at Southeastern Guide Dogs. The organization trains dogs to assist those who are blind, as well as veterans, at no cost.

Pip, who was born at Southeastern Guide Dogs in mid-September, also attended the premiere and held a “meet and greet” before the showing.

Those interested can also contribute to her “PipStarter” campaign, which is raising funds toward her $50,000 goal to becoming a guide dog. (And if you donate $25 or more, you get a “puppy-in-training” keepsake.)

The idea for the short film came about after Ringling College of Art and Design students created their own animated short, “In a Heartbeat,” Rowe said. It was talked about as an idea of something that they could try, someday.

“Visionary donors” Gary and Melody Johnson, of Tampa, donated the funds to make the short film possible after the idea of a short film was brought up to them.

“We are so happy to make it possible for Southeastern Guide Dogs to share its mission through such a creative and entertaining medium,” Gary Johnson said in a news release. “Everyone who watches Pip will fall in love with this little underdog and cheer her on to success.”

The creator, Studio Kimchi in Barcelona, Spain, specializes in “quality animation with strong characters and story telling,” according to a news release from Southeastern Guide Dogs.

Director Bruno Simões said creating the short film was breaking the mold of nonprofit outreach and he was glad to be a part of it.

This story was originally published October 25, 2018 at 2:44 PM.