Puppies await adoption at the David R. Lee Animal Care Center in Chicago, which received more than 28,000 strays, empoundments and surrenders last year.

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In terms of playing on animal lovers' emotions, a recent run of Pedigree Food for Dogs TV commercials ranks right up there with "Old Yeller" and "My Dog Skip."

The ads, which started in January and ran through March 23, featured close-ups of mixed-breed dogs in shelter cages. With melancholy music in the background, Archie, Dixie and Oliver introduced themselves via an actor's voiceover. They said things like, "I know how to sit, how to fetch and how to roll over. What I don't know is how I ended up in here." Or: "I'm a good dog, and I just want to go home."

Some people can't even describe the ads without tearing up.

Although it might be presumptuous to credit the commercial, a quick survey around the Chicago area indicates that adoptions from shelters are on the upswing. What is certain is that the ad is part of a trend of better marketing campaigns and increased public awareness that is resulting in more adoptions.

There are other factors as well: use of the Internet, cooperative ventures among shelters, and the public's acceptance of shelter animals, to name a few.

The bottom line is: more animals finding homes.

"Shelters are hiring more professional people who realize that getting the word out is important," said Peggy Froh Asseo, vice president for external affairs at PAWS.

"Another thing, there are a lot of celebrities adopting, and they're getting out there and telling how they got their animals." Singer Emmylou Harris, actress Alicia Silverstone and writer/musician Kinky Friedman have actively promoted shelter animals."

For PAWS, a 10-year-old no-kill facility best known for its highly successful spay and neuter programs, that means bringing adoptable animals to Bloomingdale's in Oak Brook, Ill., for an adoption event or having board members be guest bartenders at a fundraiser at a bar — events that might have seemed bizarre not long ago.

"People love to go to events at venues where you don't typically bring a dog or a pet," said Kevin Morrissey, PAWS' director of communications.

"A hotel, for example. We'll get 200, 300 people (and sometimes 100 or more dogs) at these events."

PAWS Chicago had 629 adoptions in 2005 and 832 last year. Elsewhere around Chicago, the story is similar. The Anti-Cruelty Society went from 6,168 adoptions in 2005 to 6,336 in 2006, and this year is off to a strong start.

Chicago's David R. Lee Animal Care Center, which received more than 28,000 strays, empoundments and surrenders in 2006, also is among the most active in another burgeoning marketing tool: taking its animals on the road.

This outside-the-box thinking also extends to programs that shelters run. PAWS has its Meet Your Match Program, which matches an adopter's lifestyle with that of an animal through an Internet survey.

Another innovation that seems to be working at Animal Care and Control is its partnership with Comcast's Pets On Demand feature, which lets customers view a selection of available animals. Pets On Demand got 30,000 hits in January.

Shelters also have learned that cooperation can mean more adoption success. Because of the huge number of animals coming in the door at Animal Care and Control, the agency has formed alliances with more than 100 other shelters and rescue groups.

Maybe the best example of the synergy in the shelter world is on the Internet, whether it's e-mails flying back and forth or Web sites devoted to adoptions.

"We've had super good luck with posting our dogs on Petfinder.com and also 1-800-save-a-pet.com," said Teri Grandt, who heads Rover Rescue, a 3-year-old organization in North Aurora, Ill. "Those have been absolutely phenomenal. And whenever I have people who call me (for a specific type of dog) and we don't have one, I send them to Petfinder."

The Internet, the off-site events, the publicity about shelter animals, and things such as the Pedigree commercials have all helped change the image of dogs and cats in shelters. Instead of going to a breeder, people now are seeking them out.

"We see it every day," said Sarah Hill, executive director of the Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin, Ill., about the increased demand for shelter animals. "People who come to us frequently say, 'It's time to get a new pet and we wouldn't consider purchasing one at a pet store. We want a shelter animal.' "