Benji to attend movie preview to aid shelters

BENJI, THE FURRY STAR of four movies, is coming to North Idaho next month to wag her tail for homeless pets in Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint.

The white-haired mutt with big brown eyes – yes, she is female – will bring with her a preview of her new movie, “Benji Off the Leash,” and her dad/owner, Joe Camp, the movie’s producer, writer and director. The pair are attending previews of the movie throughout the nation, but no place on their schedule comes close to Bonners Ferry or Sandpoint.

“They’re doing screenings in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago in Panavision. They asked me about the theater complex here, the number of screens (in Bonners Ferry),” says Marty Becker, chuckling. Marty, a veterinarian, author, syndicated columnist and TV personality, is the reason Joe and Benji are coming to North Idaho. “I said, ‘Hold on, let’s step back 100 years. There’s only one theater in town.’ “

Marty lives in Bonners Ferry and commutes to New York often to appear on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America” as a regular guest veterinarian. He’s an ardent advocate of compassionate care for pets and people’s need for pets. Until recently, he hosted a radio show, “Pets Unleashed with Dr. Marty Becker,” that aired in 40 markets.

Marty interviewed Joe Camp on the radio about his new movie. The two animal-lovers shared a desire for clean, uplifting entertainment that promotes good values. A friendship grew. Joe asked Marty if he’d preview his movie before its Aug. 20 release.

“I said, ‘How about me and 1,000 of my best friends in North Idaho as a shelter fund-raiser?’ ” Marty says.

Joe liked the idea. One of his goals with the movie is to raise adoption rates for pets in animal shelters.

“Marty Becker is pushing and pulling the adoption bandwagon,” Joe says from his home in Valley Center, Calif. “When he asked, there was no way we could say anything but absolutely.”

Marty proposed the Aug. 7 movie preview as a benefit to Second Chance Animal Adoption in Bonners Ferry and the Panhandle Animal Shelter in Sandpoint. Second Chance has about 25 dogs and six cats in foster homes around town at any one time. Most stay with Second Chance co-founder Alice Miller, who turned her barn into a temporary shelter.

A bequest in a will just gave the 6-year-old nonprofit pet rescue enough money to buy a 20-acre site south of town and start building a shelter for dogs.

Panhandle Animal Shelter became a no-kill shelter in the last few years. It shelters about 75 dogs and 120 cats, and wants to build a separate shelter for cats.

Both towns are going all out for Benji’s visit. Bonners Ferry is finishing a downtown revitalization with new trees and lightpoles, sidewalks and flower baskets. Second Chance plans to light up the sky with a spotlight and roll out a red carpet for a special noon reception with Benji and Joe at the American Legion Hall.

Tickets for the VIP affair will include reserved seating for the movie, a signed DVD and movie poster, autographs and “pawtographs” plus photos with Benji and Joe. Tickets will cost $45 for one or $100 for four. Admission to the 2 p.m. movie at the Rex Theater will cost $10. The theater seats 390 people.

“It makes my heart swell when I go around with fliers about the preview and see people’s eyes light up when they hear Benji’s coming to town,” says Debbie Richardson, Second Chance’s co-founder. “It’s a wonderful benefit like Bonners Ferry has never seen before.”

Sandpoint’s celebration will start at 5:30 p.m. the same day, at the Sand Creek Grill. Panhandle Animal Shelter is inviting people and their dogs to dine in semiformal attire, then compete for best dressed. Benji and Joe will sign autographs and pose for photos. A London-style beefeater will announce each participant and dog upon their arrival. Tickets for the pre-movie event cost $80 per couple or $50 per person and $25 per child. They include movie admission.

Live and silent auctions will take place at the Panida Theater before the movie at 7 p.m. Auction items include a bronze sculpture by Gabe Gabel, an Italian free-standing fireplace/barbecue, garden art and a fountain. Anyone may bid. Tickets for the movie cost $10 and 500 seats are available.

To guarantee that the event will be memorable, Panhandle Animal Shelter is inviting dogs to join their owners for the movie. Shelter volunteers will work as dog-walkers so viewers don’t have to miss any screen action.

“It’s the first dog-friendly event in Sandpoint,” says Alison O’Flynn. She’s the shelter volunteer who organized events for Benji’s visit. “Sandpoint wants to be inclusive of dogs.”

Those are words certain to warm Joe Camp’s heart. He’s a native Texan staying as close to nature as possible in busy Southern California. Benji began as an adventure in movie-making for Joe but evolved into crusades for cleaner family entertainment and compassionate care for pets.

He was opposed enough to Hollywood’s off-color touch in movies that he raised private money to produce “Benji Off the Leash” on his own. He searched shelters for four months before finding his latest Benji in a Mississippi shelter not far from where he grew up.

“We don’t know how long she was on the streets before she was in the shelter for a few days,” Joe says. “But her demeanor was so calm. She’s just amazing. The biggest problem on the road is that she gets so much petting that her fine fur coat mats.”

Joe wants people to head from his movie to the nearest animal shelter because they want a dog like Benji. He’s started the Benji Buddies Foundation with the hope that people will begin calling shelter dogs Benji Buddies as comfortably as they call tissues Kleenex. The foundation’s goal is to move more pets from shelters into families.

The months of previews throughout the nation have worn out Joe and Benji. Benji is only 3 1/2 and just had emergency cataract surgery. Doctors haven’t cleared her to fly yet, but she’s due at a premiere in Las Vegas midweek. Joe isn’t familiar with North Idaho, but can’t wait for his weekend at Marty’s scenic Bonners Ferry ranch.

“He’s going to ride horses here, have huckleberry lemonade and huckleberry ice cream,” Marty says as if he’s planning a fun camp schedule for a group of kids. “We’re going to spoil him rotten, not just because of the money this will make for the shelters – $5,000 to $10,000 each – but for the awareness it’s bringing.”