Bloglander

Perhaps you've seen The Shelter Pet Project's billboards across the Inland Northwest, or the PSA campaign's print and TV series' touting the myriad positives that come when you choose to adopt a pet from an animal shelter or rescue organization. Soon, those billboards could be plastered with the likeness of Spokane's most famous former shelter resident: Keyboard Cat. Bento, the second inception of Keyboard Cat, was adopted from the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services (SCRAPS) back in 2010 by local creative and artist Charlie Schmidt.

As part of a new national campaign launched in late January, three Internet famous pets — all adopted from shelters — are leading an initiative to get more of their millions of other friends out of shelters and into loving homes. 

Check out the adorably heartwarming spot featuring Bento the Keyboard Cat, the main muse and four-legged companion of his artist dad:

For the PSA campaign, Bento teamed up with a couple of famous canines, Instagram star Hamilton Pug and puppy mill rescue Toast, of Toast Meets World.

The Shelter Pet Project campaign is a collaboration by The Ad Council and animal welfare advocacy groups Maddie's Fund and the Humane Society of the United States. Watch for Bento and his friends to soon start appearing on billboards, TV, the radio, in print and on social media. Another element of the pro-adoption initiative is to encourage the public to share their stories of pet adoption using the hashtag #StartAStoryAdopt.

In a comment about his participation in the campaign, Schmidt says: “All I have to say is, it is people working together to help animals, and that is a happy thing. And between Bento and me, I am not sure who adopted whom.”

Check out the linked stories below for the Inlander's past coverage of Spokane's beloved famous feline, Keyboard Cat.