It made me blink yesterday when I opened an email concerning dogs who need homes yesterday. It was forwarded to a neighborhood list by one of the finest citizens of Echo Park, and the subject line said: "Pedigree Commercial...5 dogs left."

The message read:

Pedigree is shooting a commercial on Monday, and the shoot is at North Central Shelter. Its an exciting cause that is close to all of our hearts. Pedigree wants to make sure that the dogs that are in the commercial end up in loving homes, instead of being forgotten and euthanized. The rescue community has banded together to help these dogs, which is terrific. ... Pedigree is offering a one-year supply of food for each dog taken, plus will cover spay/neuter and all vaccinations.

Please send this email to every one you know and contact Stacy Torres at Chiat Day if you can take any of these sweet dogs.

It's great that the dog food maker is shooting its commercial at a shelter. And I suppose it would be unpleasant PR if the dog on your pet food can had been put to death shortly after receiving his/her props for a good performance.

Would anyone be better off if the agency recruited "professional" working dogs instead of the ones housed at the kill-shelters? Doubtful.

File this one under: Dilemma-- sell your soul or keep it at a discount?

PS: the Pedigree commercial dogs are about as cute as they come.