The Animal Humane Society and agency Carmichael Lynch have launched the “Law of the Paw” campaign–an initiative to raise awareness about the importance of adopting, spaying/neutering and tagging pets. The campaign asks people to sign a pledge to adopt these three behaviors, with the goal of attaining one million signatures in three years. The effort is not branded to one organization so any animal welfare organization in the country can use the creative.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a short film, Magpie’s Story, created by Carmichael Lynch. The film traces the journey of a rescue dog named Magpie from a harsh life on the streets to a caring shelter to her forever home. The entire piece is filmed from the dog’s perspective. To achieve this effect, the production company, Futuristic Films, attached a small PENTAX Q camera to a vest on Magpie’s back.
Richie Smyth of Futuristic directed the short with Zoran Popovic serving as DP.
“This film shows just how dramatic a difference you can make in the life of an animal,” said Dave Damman, chief creative officer of Carmichael Lynch. “Pets are an important part of the Carmichael Lynch family, so we loved working with the Animal Humane Society and supporting their ‘Law of the Paw’ initiative.”
As a teaser to the campaign, Carmichael Lynch placed cardboard doghouses in high-traffic areas in downtown Minneapolis. The houses visually demonstrated how many homeless pets live on the streets today. Also, as a twist on traditional “lost” posters, Carmichael Lynch created “found” posters featuring animals available for adoption at local shelters. The posters encouraged people to adopt a pet and make a promise to help all pets by signing the Law of the Paw. Images have been copied below.
“The story of Magpie is a rare look into the life of a homeless dog,” said Laurie Brickley, director of marketing for the Animal Humane Society. “This short film so aptly captures life on the streets for neglected animals in such a unique and compassionate way. This piece will hit home for so many animal lovers and encourage them to help save a life and that’s the heart of the Law of the Paw movement.”
Carmichael Lynch was tapped for this campaign based on the agency’s highly successful “Dog Tested, Dog Approved,” campaign for Subaru of America, which broke at Puppy Bowl 2011 and attracted the attention of Animal Humane Society. The spots showed dogs having their own sporty adventures sans owners.
Trump Asks Supreme Court To Delay TikTok Ban
President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a "political resolution" to the issue.
The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk.
"President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act's deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case," said Trump's amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump's choice for solicitor general.
The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table.
He has been holding meetings with foreign leaders and business officials at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida while he assembles his administration, including a meeting last week with TikTok CEO Shou Chew.
Trump has reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the TikTok during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger... Read More