Despite outward appearances, “Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog” isn’t a canine heart-tugger on the order of the fine “A Dog’s Purpose” or “My Dog Skip” but more of a family-style adventure drama with an important historical bent.
That’s not to say the film, written and directed by Lynn Roth, based on the 2015 novel by Asher Kravitz, isn’t an emotional journey. After all, it’s set in mid-1930s Germany as the Third Reich is wreaking havoc on the Jews, who, among the endless injustices being hailed upon them, are suddenly banned from having pets.