Writer, director, producer Jeff Oppenheim and veteran actor Ray Iannicelli have teamed up with a psychologist, Robin Bartky, Ph.D., to create a fond and revealing film about the profound sense of emotional and psychological loss that the death of a beloved pet can have on their owners and those around them.

Interweaving the personal experiences of eight different pet lovers – from a young cancer survivor and her sister to a childless senior facing the prospect of spending his remaining years alone – MORE THAN A PET examines, through a series of intimate interviews, the deep emotional effects the loss of a family pet can have.

The idea for the film came about when one of the producers was visiting a friend whose dog had recently died. “The more I talked to Richard, the more I began to realize how deeply distraught he was." Reports Ray Iannicelli. "I’ve had pets over the years and I’ve cared and loved them, but some rivers run deep, and for Richard, his dog was much more than a pet.”

Genuine and heart-felt, MORE THAN A PET gives us insight into the amazingly strong and surprisingly complex bonds we develop with our pets and the extraordinary place our pets have in our hearts and homes.

Read more at the More Than a Pet website, and on Twitter and Facebook.