Best Friends Animal Society spotlights family pets in groundbreaking Instagram PSA campaign

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 19, 2013) - Four new celebrities are lending their star power to support an important issue - the end of killing in our nation's animal shelters. The twist is, these celebrities are animals, and all of them rescued pets themselves.

In a new campaign created by Los Angeles agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, Best Friends Animal Society is breaking the mold of celebrity-endorsed-PSAs by tapping Instagram pet celebrities and their massive followings. Internet sensations Lil BUB, Tuna, Nala and Ginny, are teaming up with Best Friends Animal Society to "Save Them All" in PSAs airing on Instagram.

These four famous pets - who together have more than 2 million passionate Instagram followers - are unveiling their stories today via videos they'll post on their Instagram handles to promote the life-saving benefits of pet adoption.

As adopted pets themselves, Lil BUB, Tuna, Nala and Ginny underscore the notion that you can't buy a best friend, but you can adopt one. Each day, 9,000 of their furry friends die in America's animal shelters. With these pet celebrities' help, Best Friends Animal Society, the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters, is encouraging consumers to adopt or donate to solve this problem.

This innovative Instagram PSA campaign will use all social media platforms to encourage people to get involved in saving animals' lives. Perma-kitten @iamLilBUB, goofy-faced chiweenie @tunameltsmyheart, wide-eyed @nala_cat and the treat-loving super hero @ginny_jrt will launch the campaign with a film posted to each of their own Instagram feeds, reaching millions of their pet-friendly followers.

"Like people, pets are unique individuals. Their special characteristics create bonds with us, as humans and as animal lovers. This makes the fact that so many lose their lives each day in shelters almost unthinkable," said Gregory Castle, chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society. "Best Friends wants to rally the support of Americans, because if we take simple steps together, we can save them all."

"With this ground-breaking Instagram PSA campaign developed with the help of TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and these furry social media juggernauts, Best Friends hopes to raise awareness and popularity for pet adoption," said Castle.

View the Instagram Outreach Message:

Anthem :60 (YouTube): //bit.ly/1hTgeGu

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About Best Friends Animal Society®

Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. An authority and leader in the no-kill movement since its founding in 1984, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as life-saving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from 17 million per year to around 4 million. Best Friends has the knowledge, technical expertise and on-the-ground network to end the killing and Save Them All™.

To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: //www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

Follow Best Friends on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bestfriends

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