ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa has not said whether he will be back in the dugout for the Cardinals in 2011, but he is being plenty vocal about another issue close to his heart.

La Russa, who runs an animal rescue agency near his home in the San Francisco Bay area, appears in a commercial unveiled today in support of Missouri Proposition B, which seeks new regulations for the state's dog breeding facilities.

"Thousands of dogs are crammed into small and filthy cages for their entire lives at these large scale puppy mills," La Russa says in the ad. "No responsible pet owner would ever treat an animal like that."

Prop. B supporters have raised millions of dollars from animal welfare groups and wealthy dog lovers from around the nation. Much of that money will be spent on ads like these, in the weeks leading up to the election.

La Russa, St. Louis' most well-known vegetarian, was an obvious choice for the endorsement. (Who could forget the shirt he wore at the 2006 World Series victory parade.)

For those Redbird faithful interested in reading tea leaves: The Prop. B ad identifies La Russa only as the co-founder of the Animal Rescue Foundation, and not the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals.