pug queen

a feature documentary

LOGLINE

A former Playboy Playmate trades glamor for grit as she and her partner rescue abused pugs by the dozens—facing heartbreak, chaos, and the daily challenge of running a dog sanctuary that threatens to tear their relationship apart.

synopsis

Pug Queen is a raw and intimate documentary that follows Izabella St. James—a former Playboy Bunny turned fierce animal advocate—and her fiancé Bart Voitila as they rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dozens of abused pugs from across the country. On their San Diego farm, where as many as 80 pugs live at a time, the couple pours their time, money, and hearts into a never-ending cycle of emergency vet visits, messy feedings, emotional farewells, and joyful new beginnings.

Izabella, driven by compassion and unshakable conviction, is the soul of the operation. Bart—an actor, entrepreneur, and captain of the U.S. Footgolf Team—is the grounded counterpart, providing structure to the chaos. As the couple navigates the daily stressors of their mission, their bond is pushed to its limits. Through the lens of one major rescue and a series of unpredictable adoption stories, Pug Queen explores the cost of living a life of purpose—and the love that makes it all worth it.

STYLE + TONE

Pug Queen invites audiences into the emotionally charged, often chaotic world of animal rescue through a deeply personal lens. Filmed vérité-style, the documentary captures the unfiltered reality of life on Izabella and Bart’s San Diego farm—where barking never stops, vet bills pile up, and each pug has a story that will break your heart or make you believe in miracles.

The film centers on a major new rescue operation, which serves as the narrative spine, while weaving in concurrent storylines of adoptions, medical emergencies, and the tension between purpose and partnership. The cinematography will be intimate and immersive—sometimes frantic, sometimes tender—with handheld footage placing the viewer shoulder-to-shoulder with Izabella as she storms into an abusive home, or by Bart’s side as he struggles to keep things from falling apart.

We’ll explore the psychological toll of their work, the financial and emotional burden of caring for dozens of special-needs dogs, and the toll it takes on their relationship. But we’ll also witness the light: the joyful moment a pug takes its first step after surgery, the laughter over a late-night feeding gone wrong, and the quiet intimacy between two people who share a calling.

While the film celebrates the resilience of the animals and the people who save them, it never shies away from the messiness. It’s about love—in all its forms—and what happens when passion becomes both your mission and your burden.

STORY + TIMELINE

ACT I: Introduction to the World

  • Meet Izabella and Bart at their home, surrounded by dozens of pugs.

  • Show the daily chaos—feeding routines, vet runs, medication schedules.

  • Flashbacks and archival footage to introduce Izabella’s transformation from Playmate to rescuer, and Bart’s background as an actor, entrepreneur and captain of the American Footgolf Team.

  • Briefly touch on how they met and how this shared mission evolved.

ACT II: Inciting Rescue Effort

  • A tip or plea for help sparks a new rescue—possibly a hoarding situation or abuse case.

  • Preparation: long drives, legal concerns, emotional stakes.

  • Tension builds between Izabella’s impulsive compassion and Bart’s need for order.

  • The actual rescue unfolds—raw, emotional, potentially dangerous.

ACT III: Rehabilitation & Relationships

  • New pugs are introduced to the pack—some traumatized, some sick, some ready to love again.

  • Parallel threads of key adoptions, each showing different adopter dynamics and challenges.

  • Bart and Izabella navigate disagreements—on spending, medical decisions, their time together.

  • Interviews and moments of reflection deepen the emotional stakes.

Conclusion: Resolution & Reflection

  • The fate of the rescue pugs becomes clear—some adopted, some long-term fosters, some pass away.

  • Final montage of rescued pugs in their new homes and the couple back at work, overwhelmed but not stopping.

  • End with a sense of realism: the job is never done, but the love keeps them going.