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Councilman Bernard Parks of L.A.'s 8th District (South Los Angeles) made an appearance on yesterday's episode of the CBS daytime soap The Bold And The Beautiful in an effort to promote pet adoption. In the episode, the 6,816th in the show's run, the characters Liam (Scott Clifton) and Hope (Kim Matula) visit the South Los Angeles Animal Shelter looking for a new companion.
Councilman Parks just so happens to be there when they visit, and greets the two after they take a stroll past cages of sad and hopeful dogs hoping for a new home that felt lifted straight out of one of those Sarah McLachlan commercials. This isn't the first time L.A. civic leaders have made forays into show business, according to LA Daily News, with current mayor Eric Garcetti having made a few cameos during his time as a councilman.
You can watch the whole episode on CBS' website. Parks' segment comes right at the beginning at the 1:26 mark. After dispensing with pleasantries rather quickly, Liam jumps right into the hard questions and asks the councilman about the cultural shift in animal adoptions. Parks cites a drastic drop in animal euthanasia rates and emphasizes the continual need to educate pet owners about the commitment of owning an animal. Hope brings up the concept of "forever home," the idea that, "[W]hen you're adopting, this is a part of your family now." Somebody get that man a Daytime Emmy!
It's all very adorable in a non-actor-appearing-on-camera-promoting-a-good-cause way. Just a week earlier, known spay-and-neuter enthusiast Bob Barker made his own cameo on the series to encourage Liam to visit the shelter. Liam and Hope do end up adopting an animal at the end of the episode, though we won't say what kind of animal they got. Spoiler alert: it's very cute.
