Pet project.

America's favorite mutt was back in the Magnolia State recently for the world premiere of his latest film, "Benji Returns: Rags to Riches." But beyond the red carpets and flashing cameras was a more important mission for the pooch--to encourage Mississippians to adopt pets from animal shelters.

"Benji" creator, writer, and director Joe Camp chose Jackson as the site of the launch because of the state's many ties to the film. Camp, a graduate of the University of Mississippi, teamed with a University of Southern Mississippi alumna, Margaret Loesch, to produce the movie; all of the production funding came from Mississippians; the action is set in a fictional Mississippi town; one of the stars, Nate Bynum, is a former Mississippi State University professor; and the new Benji was actually discovered at a shelter in Gulfport.

The new "Benji" film introduces the dog to a whole new generation of movie-goers. The original "Benji" was released in 1975; since then, three other hugely popular films and five television programs have made the loveable mutt one of Hollywood's biggest stars. The American Humane Association estimates that because the original Benji was rescued from an animal shelter, more than 1 million dogs were adopted across the country.

"Now every time someone looks into Benji's big brown eyes, they will see the kind of loving, caring companion they too can find at their local animal shelter," Camp said. To aid in that effort, Camp has created the "Benji's Buddies Foundation," which aims to substantially raise the levels of pet adoption nationwide even after all the buzz from the film dies down. With the help of corporate sponsors, the foundation will develop a marketing plan to continuously brand homeless shelter pets as "Benji's Buddies."

And for that, the critics say "Two paws up!"

For more information on the movie, see www.benjireturns.com. To learn more about pet adoption, check with your local shelter or see www.pets911.com.