Dear Pedigree,

I'm writing to tell you that I highly respect your work with the Pedigree Adoptation Drive Foundation. You're tackling an important issue & I commend you for bringing public awareness to it. That being said, if I have to sit through Echo's commercial one more time, I'm going to have a total & complete breakdown. I remember the first time I saw it... I was blissfully sitting on the couch enjoying one of my favorite shows. Then it came on.

Shot 1: Cute dog lays in the pound/humane society.

Internal Dialogue: "He's adorable - I've fallen in love with him already!"

Voice-Over: Yadda, yadda, yadda - Pedigree helps dogs find homes when you buy our food.

Shot 2: Family walks up & the dog, named Echo, perks up.

Internal Dialogue: "Look at how cute his ears are... he's going to get adopted!! Oh boy - Echo's going to have a family & a home! I'm so happy for him!!"

Shot 3: Family walks away without a second glance. Echo's sad, confused, & all alone in his concrete cage... no family, no friends, no one to play with or love.

Internal Dialogue: "WHAT?!!? WHERE ARE THEY GOING? Echo doesn't even have a towel to sit on or a ball to play with... Heartless, just heartless!!!"

Voice-Over Ends: Yadda, yadda. Help us help dogs, buy our stuff.

Following the commercial, I found myself in total distress with tears pouring... I'm not even a dog person & I wanted to go adopt a dog. Pedigree, I know this commercial does exactly what you intended (i.e. play on the heartstrings of viewers to build your brand name & sell your product), but why do you insist on this torture?? I mean, this is really, really depressing (second only to 'Old Yeller')! I support your cause both in theory & through my local animal shelters, but this blatant emotional abuse is nothing but an unfair guilt trip!

Sincerely yours,
Emily