Cindy Meehl is a director and executive producer of documentary feature films. Her documentary feature “Buck” premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and was on the 2011 Academy Award shortlist. Meehl has executive produced several documentaries, including “For the Birds,” “Trapped,” and “Unbranded.”

“The Dog Doc” will premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival on April 28.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

CM: “The Dog Doc” focuses on an animal clinic that has become a mecca for hopeless cases. We follow the doctors, clients, and pet patients at Smith Ridge Veterinary Center to tell this emotional story. The film examines how we have, perhaps, gone overboard with invasive procedures and medications that may not always create optimal health for animals or people.

The pet “parents” who find their way to this clinic have often gotten several opinions that are quite dire. We follow the dedicated doctors and owners who believe that there is almost always hope and each animal is treated as an individual.

I know how emotional it is to go through having a very ill dog, and I feel we have captured that tense drama through all the ups and downs that go into caring so deeply for a pet. People just want to do the best thing they can for their animals, and my hope is that this film will enlighten them to a way of thinking that is new and exciting!

W&H: What drew you to this story?

CM: Many years ago, I had a dog who was dying at the age of six. I had been to several veterinarians, and no one had any answers except for antibiotics and steroids. I found myself at the door of Dr. Marty Goldstein, and he talked to me for an hour explaining how a body heals and why he believed my dog was suffering. He took her off all the meds and put her on homeopathics and a few supplements.

I followed his simple directions and she totally reverted into an energetic bouncing puppy again. It was a miracle, indeed! I started taking all my dogs there and learned so much over the years.

I see so many dogs that are clearly not in good health. You can tell by their energy and coat. I knew that the first appointment with Dr. Marty had totally changed my perspective on health and healing, and I just wanted to share that with people and hopefully improve the quality and longevity of their pets and perhaps themselves!

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

CM: I hope that people will consider what they can do to improve the health of their animals and truly carry it through. Sometimes it is the simple changes that can create great results! I have already heard from several people who saw a rough cut of the film and are now much more aware of nutrition for their dog or cat and are elated with how quickly they are seeing a difference in their pet.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

CM: We were immersed in Smith Ridge Veterinary Center for two-and-a-half years. The clinic was running on their normal daily schedule, and we had to scramble to keep up with appointments and who was coming in the door. Often someone would show up in a crisis with their pet, and we had to quickly explain what we were doing and see if we could film their appointment.

It took a lot of trust and luck to capture this world that was an ever-moving target. It would have been impossible to make this film without the amazing support that the entire clinic gave us as they allowed us to invade their very busy practice.

The clients were so grateful for the kind of care and attention they were getting and they were eager to tell their stories of all the trauma they had gone through and what was happening with their pet. We are forever grateful for that kind of access. It was the only way to really capture what goes on at a veterinary clinic.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made. 

CM: I rolled the profits from previous projects to develop this one and then solicited private funding for the rest. I am a big believer in finding people who are passionate about a subject, and with dogs, it was not hard to find like-minded people with a shared mission.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

CM: I suppose the subject of my first film, Buck Brannaman, inspired me to become a filmmaker. I had ridden horses for many years and found his approach so radical from what I had been taught that I believed it needed to be told far and wide. That is when I decided to make my first documentary. I really enjoy the process!

Dr. Marty is very similar to Buck in the way that he approaches animal health in a totally different way than I was used to, but similarly, I found it so much more effective than what I had been doing.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

CM: The best advice is to do test screenings with both filmmakers and non-filmmakers to get completely different kinds of feedback.

The worst advice I ever received was when I was making “Buck”—that no one would watch a film about a cowboy without famous cowboys in it. “Buck” turned out to be a very successful film that played in over 600 theaters in the United States, and it didn’t have a single famous person in it!

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

CM: I think female directors need to stay true to their vision. Follow your passion and make sure you have something to say that will make someone’s life better in some way. Have confidence!

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

CM: I really loved working with Dawn Porter. She is so poised and brilliant and passionate about what she does. She brings in her legal background to cover stories that have a political edge like “Gideon’s Army,” “Trapped,” and “Bobby Kennedy for President.” She is a very compassionate person who is telling stories with a political and legal eye.

W&H: It’s been a little over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

CM: We still have a long way to go, but I feel that women are being taken more seriously in filmmaking now. It is evident in awards shows and film festivals where we are seeing more women’s names appear. I really think that our work should be judged by its merit and feel the female voice has a lot to offer in the wisdom and perspective that is uniquely female.