Fans of the popular comic strip "MUTTS" but not familiar with racing might wonder about the inspiration for today's strip.

They need to look no further than the blue-and-white Tri-Point Motorsports MAZDA6s driven by Jeff Altenburg and Randy Pobst who race in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship. It's the result of a unique collaboration between MAZDASPEED, Patrick McDonnell and "MUTTS," and The Humane Society of the United States with a mutual goal to promote pet adoption. At the recent Road Atlanta race and this weekend's season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Altenburg and Pobst have carried unique MUTTS graphics with a very direct request -- adopt a shelter animal.


"The fan reaction at Road Atlanta was great. We heard so many positive comments from people who appreciated what our team was doing. Many of our competitors even ran the bumper stickers on their cars," remarked Craig Nagler, team owner for Tri-Point Motorsports.


It was the annual "MUTTS" shelter stories series of strips that focus on shelter adoptions that inspired the team to work with The HSUS on this program. Now, the racing has inspired Patrick McDonnell to create this strip with Mooch as a race driver.


"It is a real pleasure for Earl and Mooch to be part of the MAZDASPEED Team. I'm grateful that Jeff and Randy are teaming up with The HSUS and MUTTS to promote shelter animal adoptions," noted cartoonist Patrick McDonnell.


The final race of the season will take place this Sunday, October 21 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Mazda has already clinched the manufacturer's title, but the driver's championship is still open. Jeff Altenburg leads Randy Pobst by 19 points. The race will be broadcast on SPEED Sunday, October 28 at 3:00pm Eastern.


On Thursday afternoon (October 18), drivers Jeff Altenburg and Randy Pobst, along with "Earl" and "Mooch" will visit The SPCA of Monterey County to visit the shelter staff, volunteers, and adoptable animals. The SPCA of Monterey County has given special names to a few animals in support of this program. There's "Jeff" the dog, and "Randy" the cat, along with "zoom-zoom" a very fast kitten, and "Cosmo" a senior dog. All four, along with dozens more are available for immediate adoption at the shelter, across the street from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.


The promotion will not end with the checkered flag this weekend. The hoods from both cars, the custom Sparco driver suits, the original artwork of the October 18 strip, and other souvenirs will be signed by Patrick McDonnell and the drivers and auctioned off to benefit The HSUS. Details will be posted to http://www.muttscomics.com/ in early November.


THE KEY MESSAGE: SAVE A LIFE -- ADOPT


Animal shelters are the best source when looking for a pet. Not only do they have a great selection of adult animals for adoption, they also have kittens and puppies and purebred animals. National figures indicate that about half of the animals entering shelters are euthanized for lack of homes. Every adoption from a shelter is a life saved.


You can depend on responsible shelters to assess the animals' health and temperament in order to make the best adoption matches possible. When animals are relinquished by owners, the shelter staff makes every attempt to collect a thorough history of that pet. Then, while caring for animals, staff and volunteers try to learn as much as they can about these animals as well as those who come to the shelter as strays.


In an effort to make good matches between people and animals and place pets in lifelong homes, many shelters provide adoption counseling and follow-up assistance, such as pet parenting and dog-training classes, medical services, and behavior counseling. Or they may be able to refer you to providers of these services.


Another advantage is that shelter adoption fees are usually much less than an animal's purchase price at a pet store or breeder. Your new pet is more likely to be vaccinated, dewormed, and spayed or neutered. To locate your local animal shelter, check the Yellow Pages under "animal shelter," "animal control," or "humane society."


Many shelters have web sites on which they display the animals they have available for adoption. Some sites allow you to download adoption forms and read about responsible pet care. A growing number of shelters also promote their web sites, and the animals they have for adoption, on sites such as Pets911.com, Petfinder.com, and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com.