Courtesy of Jesse Locke/Unlocked Films
Humans facing housing issues depend on their four-legged friends for love and companionship.
Central Oregonians may have gotten a glimpse or two of the encampments dotted around Central Oregon, from Dirt World between Bend and Redmond to China Hat south of town. But in a new documentary, viewers get an up-close-and-personal view of the places where people live on the literal margins — with a focus on not just the people, but their pets, too.
Courtesy of Jesse Locke/Unlocked Films
Scenes from “Companion,” the new documentary featuring the story of Companion Animal Medical Project.
The film, titled “Companion,” tells the story of Companion Animal Medical Project and its work helping pets and their people experiencing homelessness. The film, produced by Jesse Locke of Unlocked Films, follows the staff and volunteers of CAMP as they visit various encampments around Central Oregon, offering pet food, vaccinations, medical transport and more. The film serves not only as a potent and emotional exploration of how pets can be lifelines for anyone — housed or unhoused, but also helps those who have not experienced homelessness see, in vivid detail, what living in a camp can be like.
In one scene, a resident of a camp shares how the love for his dog encouraged him to stop using drugs and pay attention to his diet. In another, a man tells how his dog saved his life from a fire in his RV.
“Anybody out here, their animals are their kids,” said Sam, a pet owner featured in the film who’s lived in the Junipers near Redmond since 2019. “Anyone that has an animal out here, they’re their kids.”
“Our hope for this film was to try and bring a sense of understanding and compassion to a complex issue and (try) not to make it political. Homelessness and animal welfare are two issues that many know about but may not understand (or be aware of) how they are interconnected and the importance of the human-animal bond,” CAMP’s Founder and Executive Director Johannah Johnson told the Source Weekly/Central Oregon Pets.
“We have this idea of what a home looks like, for people and pets, and that just may not be realistic right now given the state of everything. But if we can show up, show up consistently, and ask ‘How can I help?’ maybe we can make a little progress and keep people (and pets) alive as we work towards a bigger end goal: housing (and love) for all.”
Shot over a period of four months in the fall of 2023, Locke filmed Johnson, CAMP team members and pet owners who CAMP has served in recent years.
“From the time we ended in November, many things have changed with the interviewees,” Johnson wrote in an email. “Some moved into the shelter, some moved to a new city for housing opportunities, some had to rehome their animals to try and get into housing (despite our efforts to support them) some are still struggling with mental health/substance use, but one thing remains the same.... and that is the love they have for their companion animals.”
“Companion,” debuts March 24 at Open Space Event Studios. The premiere, initially planned for March 24 at 5pm, sold out quickly, so a matinee screening has since been added for the afternoon of March 24 from 3:30pm. Matinee tickets were available at press time at campclinics.org.
