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Our “Best Of” series continues this week with The Shelter Pet Project and its wonderful PSA from last year. Connect with this important cause on Facebook and Twitter.

We have a terrible confession to make. The Caledon Virtual family is fractured. It’s true. A debate that has raged for millenia has splintered our happy family. Dogs vs Cats.

Dogs are (hu)man’s best friend! Dogs are just stupid. Cats are evil! Cats are just really smart! Sadly, this debate is somewhat cyclical in nature and has no end. Which makes it perfect for our mid-afternoon coffee break. Ok, fine. Breaks. Nelly starts by talking about her dog just wants to love her when she gets home. Then Nicole hops in about how she’s convinced her cat will save her life one day. Emily and Alli start talking about how happy their dogs make them if they’re in a bad mood. Rita chimes in about how her cat knows just how to act around her all the time. This is usually the point where Paula talks about the wonders of owning a hedgehog. Then Michael talks about his MicroMachines collection when he was younger. Classic Michael.

One thing we all agree on though is the need to find homes for unwanted pets. It’s a cause the Central Missouri Humane Society continues to do an excellent job of combating locally (you can connect with CMHS on Facebook). We wanted to focus on The Shelter Pet Project this week for a series of ads it has done, taking a look at becoming a member of a new family from the pet’s perspective. This one is far and away our favorite:

If cats could speak, there’s little doubt in our minds this is what most of them would sound like. Seriously. If you own a cat, look into its eyes when you get home tonight. Is there undying love and affection there? Or a cold calculating stare demanding to know why you’ve just now returned home?

The beautiful thing about this PSA is it really humanizes your pet. When you begin to imagine an animal as a member of your family rather than just an animal that lives with you, the likelihood of you adopting that animal increases. It’s a really brilliant move to take a huge problem and bring a context to it that crystalizes it for many people. Connect with The Shelter Pet Project. Visit the CMHS. Together, this is a cause we can all get behind.