Los Angeles Filmmakers To Produce Documentary About Puppy Doe

Photo via Twitter

Justice for Puppy Doe, the dog left brutally beaten in a Quincy park in October, will continue outside of the courtrooms in the form of a full-length movie.

According to a Facebook page called “Puppy Doe: A Documentary,” filmmakers from Los Angeles are working on a feature that will explore animal abuse laws in the United States, using the case of Puppy Doe as the centerpiece for the project.

The film will be directed by Paulina Kucharski Quaranta, a graduate of Columbia College Chicago. According to Quaranta’s website, PuppyDoeFilm.com, she has produced several “experimental and narrative short films,” and was an assistant on set for major movies such as Million Dollar Baby, and Live Free or Die Hard.

Elizabeth Lawrence, an L.A.-based filmmaker who’s been in the industry for 10 years, will produce the movie.

“Animal advocates everywhere demand that justice be brought against the perpetrator of this heinous crime described as the worst case of animal abuse the city of Boston has ever seen,” Quaranta said on the film’s Facebook page, describing the purpose of her project. “As the eyes of an ever-growing community are watching and demanding change, is it time that tolerance for violent crimes against animals comes to an end?”

Since the Puppy Doe had to be put down due to the extent of her injuries, which included burns and broken limbs, state legislators and residents have called for tougher animal abuse laws and penalties. Some people started petitions asking that Craigslist remove the option to buy dogs from the website to avoid similar cases.

The death of Puppy Doe, also known as Kiya, led to an intense police investigation across state lines and the arrest of Poland native Radoslaw Czerkawski, who allegedly bought the dog from a Worcester couple for $40, and later tortured and burned the dog before abandoning her on a playground near where he was living in Quincy.

Czerkawski was arraigned in October and charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty and for misleading investigators. Czerkawski pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing in December. He’s being held without bail, and his next court date is on February 11.

Quaranta and her crew made sure they were on scene for all of the action outside of Czerkawski’s hearing in December, and have plans to return next month to get footage for their documentary.

“We were so fortunate to be a part of [a] peaceful protest outside of the Norfolk County Courthouse. Thank you to all involved who were so determined to the cause of animal rights and especially gracious to our crew,” they wrote on their Facebook page following the court appearance last month.

The movie will include interviews with police investigators, protesters, and animal rights activists.