LOS ANGELES (AP) – When abused, homeless animals appear on TV and the melancholy melody starts playing, many of us reach for the remote.
Those upsetting commercials inspired Michael Oosterom and his wife, Zachary Barton, to make short, funny films featuring a cat-costumed crusader who battles evil against animals. The Los Angeles couple were tired of calls to action that make viewers feel even worse about the plight of some pets.
“Most people turn away because it’s too distressing,” Oosterom said. “If you care about animals, that’s the last thing you need to see. We figured we could achieve the same thing with humor.”
Enter “AdvoCat!”- two-minute movies about a middle-aged cat lady who can’t find the courage to help pets in peril until she dons a risque cat costume, complete with a tail.
Oosterom and Barton know that movies don’t have to be serious to help animals, and they are among the filmmakers taking that message to the second animal film festival produced by California’s Center for Animal Protection & Education. The event highlights the growing role of pets not only in animal lovers’ everyday lives but also in their entertainment choices.