Photography by Mike Bizelli
From a horrid life with an animal hoarder, this sweet three-legged dog has made a remarkable journey. Marshall was rescued, nursed back to health, adopted, and made the subject of a book called Marshall the Miracle Dog, written by his new owner, Cyndi Willenbrock. Then Hollywood came calling…
How was Marshall found? You can watch the episode on Animal Planet, on the show Confessions: Animal Hoarding, from 2010. This hoarder had 82 dogs, and at least 60 of those—including Marshall—were on an abandoned property. One dog was caught in a fence for so long that he was severely dehydrated and had to be put down. Marshall was in the worst shape of all the dogs that survived. He had a broken leg and a huge hole in the side of his face from fighting… During the amputation operation, his heart stopped beating—that’s how sick he was—but he refused to die.
How does Marshall run on three legs? Very fast. It’s amazing. He actually runs better than he walks. When he runs, you don’t even notice a gait change, but when he walks, it’s obvious he’s disabled.
Given his violent upbringing, does he get along with other dogs? He does, in part because I started taking him to puppy training classes. He’s like an old man that goes back for his high-school diploma. He was surrounded by 12-week-old puppies. The fact that he loves other dogs and humans is a testament to the fighting spirit. You can come back from anything.
Before Marshall the Miracle Dog was a movie, it was a book. The book originally came to me because Marshall was having another nightmare. I knew he was agitated in his sleep, because he remembered being attacked by the other dogs. I wrote the story because I thought getting it out there would help me forgive the animal hoarder. But then I shared it with somebody, and we talked about kids and bullying. Marshall was being bullied by those other dogs. He’s one of the more timid, gentler, loving dogs who would never fight back, so he was a target. The small, sweet one who doesn’t fight back attracts the bully. That became the basis of the book.
What is the film about? We went with the age-old story of the bond between a boy and his dog. We had a boy being bullied rescue Marshall.
The movie involves some renowned actors. Shannon Elizabeth played me in the movie, and it was amazing how similar we are. She is a huge animal rescuer… Lauren Holly is a huge talent. She had to play a tough role, this animal hoarder, but she got into character and nailed it.
What was it like making a film with animals? We had a lot of dogs on the set and a lot of rules. There’s a 7-inch-thick document you have to read about the protection of animals. Somebody on the set tells the director what he can or cannot do.
What were the trained acting dogs like? We brought in dogs from Hollywood. Some of the dogs were in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. One was in an award-winning commercial for Doritos—the one where the kid rides the mastiff. That dog was such a sweetheart. We had to teach him how to growl, which was ironic.
Does Marshall play himself in the film? Marshall is not an actor, but he is a trained therapy dog, so he was on the set every day, and he does make a cameo.
Did you have to find a three-legged dog to appear in the film? Marshall still had his fourth leg when he was rescued, so the dog who plays him doesn’t lose it until the end of movie. They did it with special effects. They wrapped his leg in green and digitally removed it.
What’s the status of the film now? We wrapped three weeks ago, and Richard Fortus, who is a guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, is now scoring it. His daughter goes to school in St. Louis. She came home after meeting Marshall at her school and wouldn’t stop talking about him.
When can people view the film? It will be showing at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November.
I’m sure meeting Marshall brings out a warmth in people. Children especially feel that empathy. Marshall and I speak at schools, and we use that as a way to show children there’s no reason to treat a person who looks different any differently, either.
Tell me more about that. When I bring Marshall with me, students have a real-life example of what bullying can look like. He wears it on the outside. The children may have trust issues, diminished spirit, low self-esteem…Marshall never gave up, and he inspired all this. So for the kids, we say find your voice and act with courage and kindness.
