A scene from Susie's Hope
How did you know you had to play Donna?
Emmanuelle Vaugier: I’ve always loved animals and had pets in my life. I am an avid horseback rider and have two dogs: a toy poodle named Bella, who weighs about six pounds, and a seven pound maltipoo named Jack. Both my dogs are rescues and travel with me everywhere.
I also foster animals when I can. In 2009, I founded the Fluffball Foundation, which supports amazing rescue organizations across the country. I have been a judge for the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, which Susie won in 2014. Donna and Susie’s story about overcoming their own tragedies to help each other, as well as other animals, is truly inspiring.
A scene from Susie's Hope
How did your opinion toward dogs change after portraying Donna?
Emmanuelle Vaugier: I could work with animals all day long. For me, it’s fun. Dogs are great. They teach you patience, compassion, forgiveness and love. Things are really not that complicated. Dogs bring it back to the simple basics.
Susie signs the North Carolia law with Governor Perdue
What touched you most about Donna and Susie's story?
Emmanuelle Vaugier: It was an honor to play Donna, who is an amazing woman, and to work with Susie. Susie is so loving and sweet and gives kisses.
The message is that animals are not just a piece of property that you can do what you will with. They need to be respected and treated accordingly. They’re like children and don’t have a voice of their own. It’s up to us to make sure that their voice is heard and they are treated well.
Donna and Susie have had a huge impact on the laws governing animal abuse and they continue to make a difference with the Susie’s Hope non-profit to raise awareness about the issue. I am lucky to be a part of it.
Donna Lawrence and Susie
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Donna Lawrence always felt a special connection with animals. Growing up on a farm her family had horses, dogs, cats and chickens. Her first dog was a sheepdog named Johann, a gift from her aunt. “I’ll never forget him,” says Lawrence. “He waited at the end of the road for me to get off the school bus and walked me home. Johann followed me everywhere. He was scared of thunderstorms and I’d sneak him into bed.” People have been known to call her Doctor Doolittle. “They’d tell me ‘animals just gravitate to you,’” she says.
Several years ago Lawrence helped take care of an abandoned pit bull that her neighbors left behind when they moved. The dog was initially gentle, but the third time she visited, he completely turned. “I gave him some food and water. He ate and seemed fine,” says Lawrence. She kneeled down to check the bedding in his dog house and the dog snuck up behind, grabbed Lawrence’s ankle, threw her to the ground and began fiercely attacking. “I could feel the ligaments in my leg tearing,” she remembers. “I thought he was going to rip it off.”
After the violent assault she was finally able to free herself. Lawrence who was pregnant at the time suffered a miscarriage and permanently lost the ability to have children. She received 55 stitches in her leg. “My body went into such a state of shock,” she says. “I was devastated and so depressed. I lost hope.”
Ten months later Lawrence discovered hope in a pit bull mix puppy who had been found in a park and was severely abused and taken to the local shelter. She had heard about the pup on the news and also knew the shelter’s director. The dog owner’s boyfriend had broken the puppy’s jaw, knocked out her teeth, beaten her, doused her with gasoline and set her on fire. The puppy ran into the woods and survived alone for 10 days. “They found sticks in her stomach she tried to eat,” says Lawrence. “60 percent of her body was burned with second and third degree burns. Her ears were burned off. She was covered in 300 maggots. She almost died but she’s such a miracle that she made it through.”
Lawrence felt a strong bond this survivor puppy. “I went on a mission to help her find the perfect home,” she explains. “But nothing was working out. I started keeping her on the weekends and got more and more attached. She was so little, injured and needed nurturing.” While little Susie required care, Lawrence discovered that the pup had a loving quality and nurturing resolve. “I thought, this dog trusts humans, kisses them, is loving and forgiving and letting go of the past. If she can do it, I can do it. She brought me so much healing,” says Lawrence.
After several people backed out, Lawrence decided the puppy had endured enough and adopted Susie. “I didn’t think much about her being a pit bull. And here I was attacked by a pit bull,” says Lawrence. “It’s ironic that God would use a pit bull to bring healing after one brought fear and torment.”
The story doesn’t end there. This survivor puppy who was so close to death and had no voice became the voice for animals in North Carolina. Susie helped bring about the state’s stronger animal anti-cruelty laws.
After Susie’s perpetrator was caught, Lawrence was subpoenaed to take Susie to the trial. “We want to show the community what animal cruelty really looks like and why we need to change these laws,” the Assistant DA told her. At the trial, the courtroom was packed. “Everybody stood up for Susie,” says Lawrence. She explained that in North Carolina you can burn your neighbor’s couch and get more jail time than burning a dog. Animal cruelty laws hadn’t changed in 100 years.
Lawrence helped begin a grassroots campaign for a bill called “Susie’s Law.” They created a Facebook page which grew to about 35,000 people. Letters, postcards and emails poured into state representatives’ offices. Sen. Don Vaughan (D-Greensboro) got on board along with several other politicians.
In 2010, both the state Senate and House of Representatives unanimously approved Susie’s Law to increase penalties for cruelty to animals and provide tougher sentencing for those convicted of animal abuse in North Carolina. After Gov. Bev Perdue signed Susie’s Law into effect, Susie placed her paw print beside the governor’s signature. “Today, we make our homes better and our streets safer for the people who inhabit this state,” said Perdue. “No matter if they have two legs or four legs.”
Susie continues to spread her love and raise awareness for animal cruelty. She’s also a therapy dog. Lawrence and Susie visit schools, talk about pet responsibility with kids and teach them how to care for animals. “Susie helped me move forward, let go of the past, live in the moment, and understand that sometimes things happen in our life that we can’t explain,” says Lawrence. “We don’t know why they happen but we don’t have to live there. We don’t have to be a victim. We can become victorious.”
On January 5, Susie’s Hope, a movie based on Susie and Lawrence’s remarkable story will be released on DVD. A portion of DVD sales benefit the Susie’s Hope non-profit organization. The film shows how tragedy can turn into triumph and how something good can come from something so negative. “We all need hope and this film is about finding that hope and yourself again,” says Lawrence. “The movie will help us help animals like Susie.”
Actress Emmanuelle Vaugier (from the TV shows Mistresses and Two and a Half Men) plays Lawrence. (Susie plays herself.) “People aren’t aware that things like this happen or that laws in many states don’t really protect animals or adequately punish abusers,” says Vaugier. “Donna and Susie were able to change the law in North Carolina to increase the penalty for animal abuse and demand jail time. The family friendly film shares an important message about caring for animals and that one person—and one dog—can make a difference.”
Emmanuelle Vaugier answered our questions. See photos from the film and read Vaugier’s interview by clicking on the gallery.
Learn more about Susie and her work at susieshope.com
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