Alumni Profile: Gayle Krschenbaum '75

A waggin tale

As Gayle Kirschenbaum ’75 walked past the elderly woman’s room with her dog Chelsea, the woman’s daughter asked that they step in to see her mother, a stroke victim. When they did, Chelsea, a normally placid and docile little black-and-white Shih Tzu, became extremely agitated, insisted on sitting on the bed and put her face next to the woman, who had been in a coma and whose arms were punctured with IV tubes. What happened next, says Kirschenbaum, was nothing less than a miracle. The woman began to stir, opened her eyes and tried to smile. Their communicating with each other, she says, is just one of the magical things that she’s experienced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Greenwich Village, where she volunteered her time, with Chelsea as an animal assisted therapist.

She began exploring her natural talent in fine arts while attending Binghamton University. Upon graduation, Kirschenbaum began a career as a freelance graphic designer in advertising and promotion. Soon immersed in producing TV commercials, she formed her own company, Kirschenbaum Productions. Although her business was successful, there was something missing. Gayle always wanted to tell stories, and soon found another way to tell them. A fellow alumnus, Bob Israel ’74, suggested a move to Los Angeles to attend a directing class. She never looked back. She began to produce and direct award-winning documentary films; her first, Doumeni House, won an Emmy.

During those years in LA, Kirschenbaum acquired Chelsea. She soon found herself taking the little dog with her wherever she went, and realized that Chelsea had a very special spirit. Friendly and calm, she loved to meet people and seemed to sense those who needed a little extra attention. Kirschenbaum had heard about companion dogs and thought about having Chelsea certified as one. In fall 2000 she decided to fulfill her dreams, to construct her own projects instead of the ideas of others. She wanted to "move people to emotion," and had several documentaries in mind. She and Chelsea moved back to New York City. That’s when things really began.

Her first venture was to create a new and unique genre, the "dogamentary." A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary began as a day in the life of Gayle and Chelsea and their comic adventures, Chelsea with a specially constructed tiny camera ("doggiecam") attached to her back. Kirschenbaum provided her with a voice and a script. She and Chelsea began their adventures, which along the way included modeling for a dog catalog, guest appearances on the Today Show and the Howard Stern Show, along with several news and magazine stories. Then came 9/11. During the ensuing days, several people she encountered seemed to be drawn to Chelsea, telling Gayle how much comfort and serenity it gave them just to hold her. She renewed her effort to find a place to have Chelsea certified as a therapy dog and soon she and Chelsea became Pet Partners with Delta Society. Their first assignment took them to the Family Assistance Center, along with volunteers, the Red Cross, police, firemen and the FBI, to assist family members of those lost at the World Trade Center. They continue today to offer solace to those suffering illness and loss. Chelsea and Gayle currently volunteer at Cabrini Hospice in New York.

When a winning entrepreneurial spirit combines with a desire to help one’s fellow man, the results are inspiring. The film played in several international film festivals to great acclaim, and premiered on HBO/Cinemax on March 15.

Kirschenbaum is currently busy producing a DVD that will be released early summer.

To learn more about the film and Gayle, and order a DVD, visit www.dogamentary.com.

-- Kathryn Brown ’62