The Tiger Next Door DVD Review
The Tiger Next Door DVD Review
Synopsis: As seen on Animal Planet.
Experts estimate there are more tigers living in captivity in the United States than are roaming wild in the world.
Dennis Hill has been breeding and selling tigers from his backyard in Flat Rock, Indiana for over fifteen years. When the documentary begins, Hill has 24 tigers, 3 bears, 6 leopards and one cougar. He claims to know exactly what his animals are thinking by the look in their eyes. But now, after a surprise government inspection, he's lost the license that allowed him to keep exotic animals, and the state of Indiana is threatening to shut him down. He has just five days to find alternate homes for all but three of his brood and to bring his facilities up to code -- or else lose what he considers to be his life's work.
As Hill fights to hold on to his tigers over the days and months that follow, The Tiger Next Door follows him -- exploring his motives, his past, and the curious, ethically-murky world he's created in his backyard. At the same time, the documentary ranges far beyond Dennis' animal compound, illuminating the intricate web of commerce laxity that keep breeders in business. What finally becomes exposed is the widespread attitude that humans are indeed lords of the animal kingdom
Experts estimate there are more tigers living in captivity in the United States than are roaming wild in the world.
Dennis Hill has been breeding and selling tigers from his backyard in Flat Rock, Indiana for over fifteen years. When the documentary begins, Hill has 24 tigers, 3 bears, 6 leopards and one cougar. He claims to know exactly what his animals are thinking by the look in their eyes. But now, after a surprise government inspection, he's lost the license that allowed him to keep exotic animals, and the state of Indiana is threatening to shut him down. He has just five days to find alternate homes for all but three of his brood and to bring his facilities up to code -- or else lose what he considers to be his life's work.
As Hill fights to hold on to his tigers over the days and months that follow, The Tiger Next Door follows him -- exploring his motives, his past, and the curious, ethically-murky world he's created in his backyard. At the same time, the documentary ranges far beyond Dennis' animal compound, illuminating the intricate web of commerce laxity that keep breeders in business. What finally becomes exposed is the widespread attitude that humans are indeed lords of the animal kingdom
Review: This documentary was initially shown on Animal Planet. I have a great respect for their programming, so I was all for checking it out. The quality of the documentary is great. Its high-quality production value and very informative. I have to comment on the subject here..Dennis. I'm an animal rights advocate. I'm one of those vegetarian Peta types, I'll admit that up front. I feel that animals are really mistreated and this Dennis character is a prime example.
There are more big cats in private captivity than roaming in the wild. Take a moment to process that fact. Its disgusting. This guy breeds big cats for a living in his back yard. He's a felon with a shady past and now he's gotten into the business of breeding exotic pets. Its any wonder his license has been revoked by the USDA. What a scumbag.
The point of this film wasn't to show Dennis as a d-bag, but it inadvertantly does just that by showing us reality. This is a great documentary to watch, everyone should see the way these tigers are being treated! I highly recommend it.
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars