A documentary film about a dog, about life, about love, about relations.

Bonnie watched her once-vibrant mother in a coma, wasting away. The doctors warned Bonnie that her mother would not make it another day. That very day a therapy dog named Chelsea, made the rounds of the hospital and climbed onto Bonnie’s comatose mother and spoke to her, barking. Suddenly the mother opened her eyes and smiled. When the woman passed away several days later, Bonnie told Chelsea's owner "Chelsea gave me my mother for two more weeks. It was a miracle. I already made the funeral arrangements and was sure I’d never speak to mother again."

A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary is a quirky yet poignant documentary about the positive effects of the intense bond between dogs and humans, as told through the story of Emmy®-winning television producer Gayle Kirschenbaum and her dog Chelsea. Using humor and pathos, this film explores Chelsea's role in her owner's life, and how it expanded when Chelsea was certified as a therapy dog after the horror of 9/11. It's a story of seeking love – and finding it in the least expected way.

Gayle never imagined herself as "one of those people" who finds true companionship in a dog. After rescuing a neglected Shih Tzu, Gayle finds herself rescued right back. She is convinced her little girl is a star, and the pair enjoy the comic adventures of seeking stardom for Chelsea and a husband for Gayle. With the four-legged ingenue rigged with a "doggie cam," Gayle and her canine co-star experience life on the streets of New York from both a woman’s and a dog’s points of view.

They become a magnet for attention, meeting all kinds of characters including a woman who is convinced her new dog is her father reincarnated. Everywhere they go, people are smitten with Chelsea and she is on her way to becoming a star – a Shih Tzu diva.

Then the tragic events of 9/11 unfold, not only bonding Gayle and Chelsea to their city, but seeing Chelsea emerge as a force for healing, and leading them both on a new path. After training and passing certification, Chelsea begins the work she was born to do. Gayle witnesses how Chelsea offers comfort and companionship to those in distress - all eager to see Chelsea’s bright eyes and wagging tail. A Dogamentary captures these powerful encounters, with camera work by legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter, Letting Go) who also appears as a character in the film, and post production consultation by Robert Hawk (Chasing Amy, Trick, The Laramie Project).

A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary is a story of hard work, hard knocks, love sought and found, and how a person, a dog, and a community all learned to help heal one another. It's a story of how one very special dog improved the lives of people all around her. It's wild, it's funny, it's moving and it's real.