Quinn, Topinka tout shelter animals

Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka are encouraging Illinois residents to rescue a pet from a shelter this year.

The Democrat and the Republican appeared together on Sunday at a Chicago "no-kill" shelter to promote pet adoption.

They also introduced the public to the governor's new dog. Rosie is a Yorkshire terrier mix recently adopted from Pets Are Worth Saving Chicago. It was her first public event.

Topinka created the Comptroller's Critters Pet Adoption Program in 2011 to find homes for rescue animals and avoid the costs associated with overpopulation and animal control efforts. Approximately 100 shelters have partnered with the program. An online database and pet adoption nights have led to more than 2,200 adoptions since the program began.