Scott Mullaney and Ratting Dogs to be Featured in Pair of Documentaries

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – The general public can’t seem to get enough of rodents. Los Angeles-based Days Edge Productions (working on a documentary for PBS), as well as a production company making a documentary for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, are both working on film projects about these pests.

Unique Pest Management, Woodbridge, Va., and its ratting dogs were recently filmed for both documentaries. Scott Mullaney, director of animal services/principal at Unique Pest Management, took hosted both crews on a job site in the Adams Morgan neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

“We shot them both in the same alleyway because it was wide and gave their crews room to set up, and also because the architecture at one end of the alley is completely different from the other end,” said Mullaney, who added that this area is a hot spot for rats because there are a lot of mixed-use commercial buildings. (e.g., restaurants and apartments).

During the shoot for the CBC documentary, Mullaney’s ratting dogs caught 41 rats, while during the Days Edge shoot they only caught 14 – a result of having to work in a downpour, Mullaney said.

The documentaries don't just show sensational footage, but rather mix in footage with discussions about rat biology and behavior. Mullaney said. For example, Mullaney recalled being able explain and show rodent behavior during and following rainfall at the Days Edge shoot. “We caught three young males during the pouring rain and I explained [to the TV crew] that if we got a break in the rain, that we're going to see adults come out. And that's exactly what happened; after the rain, the remaining 11 we caught were huge, adult males.”

Mullaney said he is excited to see the final product and optimistic they will show the pest control industry in a positive light. “We were very happy with the connections we had with [the production companies]. They showed an understanding of our love for the dogs, our use of the dogs, as well as our love of rats and our not wanting to have rats around. And they showed an understanding of the business aspect of it as well.”

Mullaney said both production companies are hoping for December release dates for the documentaries.