Dogs are our best friends

"Beagles are used in many experiments, like checking adverse drug reactions and genetic technology," says Jia Huimin, director of the episode. "We had shot one story about a pet beagle before we decided to shoot this story. Although they were of the same breed, their lives were quite different. Many people have never heard of the existence of such experimental dogs, so we want to show their story.

In the documentary, the dog was at first frightened by people and timid among humans. But after some time, when it felt the goodwill from people around it, it became relaxed and gradually got used to a new life.

"I found that elderly people with cognitive disorders are also initially scared of other humans," says Jia. "They find the world very strange, they are less aware of the people around them, but they can still feel and accept goodwill."

Wang says the connection between people and their pets can touch the audience the most. "For example, Luo had many miserable experiences and lived a homeless and unstable life. She was often driven away by her landlords for the smell of her dogs, but she never considered abandoning them. At the same time, her dogs rely on her and support her. Such tenderness between people and pets is really touching."

She says in modern society, many young people are quite busy, with little time for social interactions. As a result, pets stay with them and satisfy their need for connections.

Besides companionship, some pets can also reflect the desire and value of their owners, according to Wang. The third episode relates the story of a dog, which was raised by a family devoted to their son's education. Besides encouraging the son to achieve good grades at school, the parents also sent the dog for education and took it to participate in competitions.

"Based on their respective values and experience, people have different ways of raising pets. From this family's point of view, a boy needs to participate in competitions to show his capacity, so does the dog. In some way, they cast their education value on the dog, but in some other's eyes, it may seem too demanding for a dog. We are not judging their choices, but just showing them," she adds.