Milwaukee Animal Alliance promotes adoption message with Sheriff and Alderman

MILWAUKEE, WI -- Many of us have a soft spot in our hearts for animals. A new ad campaign is taking full advantage of that soft spot by featuring several noteable figures from the community. And they are all calling on you to adopt rescue animals.



With just the click of the camera shutter, local celebrities and civic leaders are making it known they are calling on you to adopt rescue animals from Milwaukee area shelters like MADACC.



\"It's a sad situation that we have [with] the way so many animals in our community are treated, or mistreated,\" said Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan. \"So I think anything we can, do to step up to the plate, is important.\"



There are a number of familiar figures -- such as Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan, former Badgers tight end Travis Beckum and entertainer Dear Ruthie -- featured in the Milwaukee Animal Alliance's \"Adopt Local\" ad campaign. The organization's message is a simple one. Look to the shelters to find your next pet.



\"We holeheartedly believe Milwaukee County can save all of its homeless pets, much like many other cities are doing across the country already,\" MAA spokesperson Kelly Herbold said of her horganization's purpose.



\"They're domesticated animals, and they need social interaction,\" Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke pointed out. \"They need that to be well adjusted. So I encourage people to look there [animal rescue shelters] first, when they're considering a pet.\"



Though you likely recognize the poeple in the photos, it is hard to argue who the real stars of the ads are.



While the four-legged models, like Brutus the dog and Oliver the cat, stole the show -- the Milwaukee Animal Alliance is grateful for just how easy it was to enlist the help of the local figures in the campaign.



\"These people were willing to be involved, willing to help out,\" said MAA member Darryl Schaber. \"[They are] animal lovers, like everybody in our group. And they want to see the animals in Milwaukee County get a chance.\"



\"There's a lot of preconceived notions or misconceptions about rescue animals,\" MAA member Olivia Schaber told CBS 58.\" You know, when they're in a shelter, people don't know what their past is. And while that is true, that doesn't mean that they wouldn't make a great addition to anyone's family.\"



Despite some dog hair on his uniform, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clark was all smiles about his photoshoot experience.



\"I'll tell you that that poster; I mean even I got a kick out of it when I saw what they actually did with it and the photo shoot,\" recounted Sheriff Clarke. \"It's been nothing but positive.\"



And Alderman Donovan says he's heard plenty of playful feedback about striking a pose with his furry friends.



\"Oh my God, that's Bob Donovan,\" exclaimed Donovan as he described a reaction he received for taking part in the ads. \"So, you know, I have run into people who have certainly seen the ad. And they were very pleased with it.\"



The members of the pro-rescue pet adoption group had a far more emotional response when they saw their labor of love as a finished product after they were completed.



\"I cried, I thought they were so beautiful,\" Schaber described of the moment she first saw the ads. \"I thought they were so powerful. The messages for each, individual photo; they just go right your heart. And if they don't, then maybe you don't have one.\"



The Milwaukee Animal Alliance, making Milwaukee Great.



Everything related to the photo shoot was donated, from the time of the volunteers to the photography of Peggy Morsch. You can learn more about the Milwaukee Animal Alliance by clicking on this link.