pet adoption Archives – CULTURE MIX

2017 Clear the Shelters: post-event adoption stats, adoption TV specials airing on NBCUniversal and Telemundo stations

August 24, 2017

The following are press releases from NBCUniversal:

New York

Concluding a record-setting 2017 campaign which saw participating animal shelters and rescues double and local pet adoptions triple, NBC 4 New York / WNBC and Telemundo 47 / WNJU announced that 4,515 homeless pets were adopted by Tri-State families through Clear the Shelters / Desocupar Los Albergues, the popular, nationwide pet adoption drive led by NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations. This effort culminated in Saturday’s call-to-action where local participating animal shelters and rescues offered an array of incentives such as low-cost or waived adoption fees, helping more families open their homes to a homeless pet. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign resulted in more than 62,000 pet adoptions. Since 2015, the stations’ Clear the Shelters initiative has resulted in more than 136,000 pet adoptions.

“Thousands of families adopted a homeless pet through WNBC’s Clear the Shelters campaign. Our anchors, reporters and employees look forward to this campaign every year and are passionate about connecting homeless pets with forever homes. We are thrilled that this was a record-breaking year for pet adoptions throughout the Tri-State area,” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of NBC 4 New York.

In 2015, the first Tri-State Clear the Shelters / Desocupar Los Albergues drive featured 42 participating shelters and animal rescues, generating 1,048 pet adoptions. Two years later, the community initiative expanded to include 94 participating shelters and animal rescues, generating this year’s final adoption total.

“The results of Telemundo 47’s Desocupar Los Albergues pet adoption drive were truly remarkable. All across the Tri-State area, our viewers opened their hearts and opened their homes to thousands of homeless pets in need. We could not be more pleased with the results of this year’s campaign,” said Cristina Schwarz, President and General Manager of Telemundo 47.

Pets of all types found new homes during Clear the Shelters 2017, including a Chihuahua mix dog with a heart murmur was adopted by a man who also had a heart murmur and sought a companion pet. 26 bulldogs were also rescued from a hot van and brought to the Bergen County Animal Shelter, where NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 were conducting live broadcasts. The subsequent televised reports led to numerous viewer calls expressing interest in adopting the puppies.

Viewers can tune-in to NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47 later this week to watch Clear the Shelters specials that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear the Shelters,” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air beginning Friday, August 25 on the NBC 4 New York and NBC-owned stations plus more than 130 NBC affiliate stations (check local listings). Telemundo 47 and Telemundo stations will air a post-adoption drive special on Saturday, August 26 that will be co-hosted by Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray of Telemundo 52 Los Angeles / KVEA (check local listings).

For more information about Clear the Shelters 2017, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit nbcnewyork.com/cleartheshelters or telemundo47.com/desocuparlosalbergues. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on social media by using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters.and #LoveMyPet. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com and follow #DesocuparLosAlbergues and #AmoAMiMascota. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Connecticut

NBC Connecticut /WVIT announced its popular pet adoption campaign Clear the Shelters resulted in more than 900 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the pet adoption initiative included the participation of more than 35 animal shelters across Connecticut. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 68,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 141,000 pet adoptions.

“Thousands of our viewers turned out for this event, resulting in hundreds of adoptions statewide. It was truly heartwarming to see deserving animals paired with loving families, who are giving these pets a new lease on life,” said Susan Tully, President and General Manager of NBC Connecticut.

One of the success stories of the campaign is Diamond, a 3 year old who had spent far too long at Meriden Animal Control. After NBC Connecticut featured Diamond’s story on its Facebook page, Diamond is now at home with her new family. For a recap of the Clear the Shelters event, click here. http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/on-air/as-seen-on/Over-900-Pets-Adopted-in-Connecticut-for-Clear-the-Shelters_Hartford-441134573.html

Audiences can tune-in later this week to watch special programming that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear theShelters” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air Friday, August 25 at 7pm on NBC Connecticut.

For more information about Clear the Shelters 2017, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit nbcconnecticut.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Philadelphia

nbc10 Philadelphia / WCAU and Telemundo62 / WWSI announced their popular pet adoption campaign – Clear the Shelters – resulted in 4,837 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the stations’ pet adoption initiative included the participation of nearly 50 animal shelters in the Greater Philadelphia region. On Saturday alone, 1,450 adoptions took place, a 30 percent increase from 2016. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 68,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 141,000 pet adoptions.

“We are thrilled to report another successful year for Clear the Shelters, our annual pet adoption campaign,” said Ric Harris, President and General Manager of NBC10 and Telemundo62. “It feels great knowing that through the combined efforts of our partner shelters and rescue groups, volunteers, sponsors, and our viewers, we were able to exceed the number of pet adoptions from last year and helped nearly 5,000 animals find homes this summer.”

Video highlights from Clear the Shelters:

Brandywine Valley SPCA – West Chester, PA

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Clear-the-Shelters-Pennsylvania-New-Jersey-Delaware-441080173.html

ACCT Philly – North Philadelphia

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Give-Back-for-Clear-the-Shelters_Philadelphia-441082053.html

Audiences can tune-in later this week to watch special programming that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear the Shelters” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air beginning Friday, August 25 on NBC10 at 7 PM. Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray of Telemundo 52 / KVEA will present a special that will air on Telemundo62 on Saturday, August 26 (check local listings).

For more information about the stations’ Clear the Shelters 2017 pet adoption campaign, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit NBC10.com and Telemundo62.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

Miami/Fort Lauderdale

NBC 6 / WTVJ and Telemundo 51 / WSCV announced that their popular pet adoption campaign – Clear the Shelters – has resulted in 1,977 local pet adoptions. Launched in July 2017 and culminating on Clear the Shelters day, Saturday, August 19, the stations’ pet adoption initiative included the participation of seven animal shelters in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Nationally, the third annual Clear the Shelters campaign resulted in the adoption of more than 70,000 pets. Since 2015, NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelters campaign has resulted in more than 140,000 pet adoptions.

“It is amazing to see so many shelters and pet rescues willing to waive or deeply discount adoption fees on Clear the Shelters day to help place hundreds of animals in loving homes,” said Larry Olevitch, President and General Manager at NBC 6. “That level of commitment speaks volumes about their dedication to this great cause and it’s something we are proud to support year after year.”

There were many adoption success stories including one deemed the “Biggest Successful Foster Fail.” Click here to read about a young couple that adopted their foster puppy on Clear the Shelters day after having fostered him for only a week.

“We are proud to continue working with our area shelters in this great initiative, which is an integral part of our commitment to serving our community.” said Jorge Carballo, President and General Manager, Telemundo 51.

Audiences can tune-in later this week to watch special programming that will feature celebrities and their pets and recaps of this year’s pet adoption campaign. Beth Stern, best-selling author and animal lover and Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites, co-host of The Kitchen and author, will co-host “Clear the Shelters” a 30-minute post-adoption drive special that will air beginning Friday, August 25 at 7pm on NBC6. Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray of Telemundo 52 / KVEA will present a special that will air on Telemundo 51 on Saturday, August 26 at 12pm.

For more information about the stations’ Clear the Shelters 2017 pet adoption campaign, including photos and local pet adoption stories, visit NBC6.com and www.telemundo51.com. To access stories and photos from other Clear the Shelters participating markets, visit ClearTheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com. Clear the Shelters is an initiative spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal.

August 25, 2017 UPDATE:

NBC4 Southern California / KNBC and Telemundo 52 Los Angeles / KVEA today announced that their third annual campaign, Clear the Shelters, resulted in more than 10,500 pet adoptions throughout the Southland. The month-long initiative culminated on August 19 across more than 60 animal shelters and attracted record-setting crowds in five counties.

Nationally, the Clear the Shelters campaign generated more than 70,000 pet adoptions, and more than 140,000 adoptions since its inception in 2015. Clear the Shelters is a nationwide initiative led by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

“This year’s success is unprecedented, resulting in a significant increase in adoptions over last year,” said Steve Carlston, President and General Manager of NBC4 Southern California. “We’re thrilled to see the outpouring of responses from families looking for pets.”

“The response was incredible this year,” said Celia Chavez, President and General Manager of Telemundo 52. “I’m so proud of how our community came together and helped thousands of animals find their new home.”

A 30-minute special, “Clear the Shelters,” will feature celebrities with their pets and recaps of this year’s campaign. Best-selling author and animal lover Beth Stern and author Katie Lee, host of Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites and The Kitchen, will co-host the program on NBC4 this Friday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Stephanie Himonidis “Chiquibaby” and Elva Saray, hosts of Telemundo 52’s Acceso Total, popular weekday entertainment and lifestyle program, will present a special that will air on Telemundo 52 this Saturday, August 26 at 12 p.m.

For those still looking to adopt a pet, visit NBCLA.com/cleartheshelters and Telemundo52.com/desocuparlosalbergues for a map of local shelters. The websites also feature dozens of photos and adoption day highlights.

Snapchat gets involved with 2017 Clear the Shelters campaign

August 17, 2017

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal today announced that Snapchat will feature content from the stations’ Clear the Shelters third annual nationwide pet adoption campaign in its “Stories” section on Saturday, August 19. Videos and snaps of users with their pets and participating animal shelters will be featured in the app’s special Clear the Shelters “Stories” section this weekend. In addition, audiences all across the country will be able to activate Snapchat filters that will complement the stations’ pet adoption campaign.

Clear the Shelters is a first-of-its-kind pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. The stations’ pet adoption initiative includes the participation of more than 75 NBC and Telemundo stations, and nearly one thousand animal shelters across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. The campaign’s robust social media campaign #ClearTheShelters, #DesocuparLosAlbergues has already garnered support from various celebrities including Kristen Bell from NBC’s The Good Place, model Kate Upton, and Telemundo’s Carmen Villalobos, to name a few. On Clear the Shelters day August 19, participating animal shelters will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees. Since the effort was expanded nationally in 2015, the stations’ Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign has resulted in more than 70,000 pet adoptions.

“We’re excited to partner with Snapchat to offer audiences an entirely new way to stay up-to-date with all the wonderful pet adoption stories that we’ll be sharing from our Clear the Shelters events this weekend,” said Lora Dennis, Senior Vice President of Digital Media, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “Clear the Shelters has become a summer tradition for many communities and we cannot wait for audiences to watch all the fun videos and snaps and also join our social media campaign.”

For more information about the pet adoption campaign, visit ClearTheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on social media by using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #LoveMyPet. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.com and follow #DesocuparLosAlbergues and #AmoAMiMascota.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChsarieOksU

VIP Petcare partners with Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign

August 9, 2017

The following is a press release from NBCUniversal:

NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal, today announced VIP Petcare returns as a repeat national sponsor of the NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ annual Clear the Shelters nationwide pet adoption campaign. VIP Petcare will donate more than $200 of preventive veterinary services to individuals that adopt a pet at this event. The $200 includes one free dose each of prescription flea/ tick and heartworm preventative medication.

Clear the Shelters is a nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. The stations’ Clear the Shelters annual pet adoption campaign has become a popular event for communities all throughout the country and includes the participation of hundreds of animal shelters. On Saturday, August 19, participating animal shelters will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees. Since the effort was expanded nationally in 2015, the stations’Clear the Shelters efforts have resulted in more than 70,000 pet adoptions.

“VIP Petcare’s continued support of the NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ Clear the Shelterspet adoption campaign will ensure that our stations and partner shelters deliver a memorable event for communities and pet adopters all across the country,” said Bruce Kallner, Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Marketing, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “We’re excited to work with a partner that values the importance of quality pet care and wellness and look forward to another successful Clear the Shelters day.”

VIP Petcare’s goal is to not only find forever homes for shelter and rescue pets, but to educate all pet owners on the importance of ongoing pet wellness care. The company is dedicated to keeping every pet healthy, happy and safe. Through a network of over 2700 clinics nationwide, VIP Petcare provides vaccinations, diagnostic testing, microchipping and other wellness veterinary care to pets and their parents.

“We are honored to sponsor Clear the Shelters for the second consecutive year,” said Will Santana, CEO and Founder of VIP Petcare. “Thousands of pets will find a home on August 19 and we are committed to ensuring they get a healthy start in their new life.”

For more information about the pet adoption campaign, visit ClearTheShelters.com. You can also follow the effort on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #LoveMyPet. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparLosAlbergues.comand follow #DesocuparLosAlbergues and #AmoAMiMascota.

Petco signs on as sponsor of Clear the Shelters pet adoption campaign

August 7, 2017

The following is a press release from Petco:

Petco returns as a national sponsor of NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations’ “Clear the Shelters” pet adoption campaign for a second consecutive year. On Saturday, August 19, 2017, Petco partners will be present at participating animal welfare organizations to answer questions from potential pet adopters and their families. Petco will also be distributing “Welcome to the Family” packets containing information for new pet parents along with coupons for pet supplies.

“Clear the Shelters” is a nationwide pet adoption campaign that is spearheaded by NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, a division of NBCUniversal that includes 30 NBC and Telemundo-owned stations. The stations’ “Clear the Shelters” third annual pet adoption campaign has become a popular event for communities nationwide and includes the participation of hundreds of animal welfare organizations. On August 19, participating animal shelters will offer low cost or waived pet adoption fees. The NBC and Telemundo owned stations’ third annual “Clear the Shelters” effort has helped to inspire local communities to take action and open their homes to animals in need. Since the effort was expanded nationally in 2015, the stations’ “Clear the Shelters” pet adoption campaign has resulted in more than 70,000 pet adoptions.

“Petco has been an fantastic partner to the owned stations and we’re excited to work with a company that is deeply committed to pet adoption issues and helping families have the resources and information they need to provide the best care to their newly adopted pets,” said Bruce Kallner, Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales and Marketing, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “The Petco Foundation has also been a great supporter of our “Clear the Shelters” campaign and we’re pleased to work with a non-profit organization that shares our goal of matching homeless pets with new, permanent homes.”

“With more than 50 years in the pet specialty business, Petco understands and celebrates the importance of the incredible bond between pets and pet parents,” said Charlie Piscitello, chief people officer at Petco. “‘Clear the Shelters‘ allows us to extend our year-long animal adoption efforts and offers our immensely passionate store partners the ability to help even more families start out with the tools and knowledge they need to make their relationship with their new pet as rewarding as possible.”

Petco Foundation and the NUTRO Company launch ‘Be a Lifesaver’ Campaign

June 30, 2017

The following is a press release from Petco:

This weekend the Petco Foundation, a leading funder of animal welfare, and The NUTRO Company kick off their “Be A Lifesaver” campaign, promoting everyday lifesavers throughout the country and encouraging all people to be lifesavers for animals this summer.

Everyone can be a lifesaver with five simple actions:

Adopt: Find a new family member by adopting a pet at a local animal welfare organization.
Foster: Fostering pets can save animal lives and can be a fun, educational family-friendly summer activity. Learn more at participating Petco stores on July 22, during the Petco Foundation’s “Be A Foster” event.
Volunteer: Local shelters always need volunteers for a variety of activities like walking dogs, socializing cats or folding laundry. Talk to local animal welfare organizations about how your skills and interests fit with the organization’s needs.
Spread the Word: Share on social media how you’ve acted as a lifesaver for pets with #BeALifesaver
Donate: Donate at checkout at Petco and Unleashed by Petco stores to help the Petco Foundation reach its goal of raising $2.1 million to provide lifesaving investments to animal welfare organizations.

Be A Lifesaver events:

Be A Lifesaver Adoption Weekend: Adopt your new family member
Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2 at participating Petco and Unleashed by Petco store locations.

Be A Foster: Learn more about fostering and apply to be a foster family for pets
Saturday, July 22 happening at select Petco and Unleashed by Petco stores.

The NUTRO Company generously donated $75,000 to kickoff the Be A Lifesaver campaign. From July 1-23, guests in Petco and Unleashed by Petco stores are invited to Be A Lifesaver by making a donation at checkout to support animal welfare organizations throughout the country.

“Summer is a busy time for animal welfare organizations. There is often an increase in animal intake and demand for services,” said Petco Foundation executive director Susanne Kogut. “Our Be a Lifesaver campaign aims to inspire individuals to take action to help save animal lives in their own communities. Through collecting donations — $2, $5, and $20 at a time at checkout in Petco stores — we hope to raise more than $2.1 million to support lifesaving animal welfare work nationwide.”

Honda partners with spcaLA to help people adopt dogs

March 2, 2017

Carlos PenaVega in Honda's 2017 CR-V SUV campaign — Carlos PenaVega in Honda’s 2017 CR-V SUV campaign that promotes the car and dog adoption. (Photo courtesy of Honda)

Honda has teamed up with spcaLA in a campaign to help people adopt dogs. The campaign (which runs from March 2 to March 31, 2017) is also aimed at boosting awareness for the 2017 Honda CR-V SUV. According to a Honda press release, the promotion will be primarily on Honda’s Latino-oriented social channels, such as @HondaLatino Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The campaign incorporates the brand’s belief in “The Power of Dreams,” which has been a key theme throughout the CR-V’s marketing launch. Actor/singer Carlos PenaVega (formerly of the group Big Time Rush) stars in a series of three videos for the campaign. The dogs featured in the videos are pets from the spcaLA that are up for adoption.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o5iSxr7oM8

Honda’s “CR-V Pet Adoption Drive” follows the CR-V’s “Best Friends” Spanish-language TV spot, which debuted on Fox Deportes during football’s big game in February, marking a first for Honda. The spot focuses on the notion that sometimes a dream means helping others realize theirs. It tells the emotional story of a young boy and his mom adopting a puppy together. Over time the boy and his dog develop a fun and loving relationship and the whole family comes together to train the dog. One day, they receive a call they’ve been expecting. In the final moments of the spot, it is revealed that the months-long training activities have been done so that they could gift the dog to another family as a service dog to help a child with special needs.

2017 Puppy Bowl: see all the cute photos and videos

February 6, 2017

Rory, the poodle mix that was voted Puppy Bowl XIII MVP. (Photo courtesy of Animal Planet)

Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XIII was the first Puppy Bowl to air simultaneously on both coasts when it premiered on February 5, 2017 (Super Bowl Sunday) with three hours of puppies playing a mock football game. The inaugural Petco Lombarky trophy was awarded in Puppy Bowl XIII at Geico Stadium, a miniature set built for the TV show.

According to an Animal Planet press release, Puppy Bowl XIII kicked off at Geico Stadium with a special appearance by weather forecaster Mr. Punxsutawney Phil. The famous groundhog and two of his inner circle officiated the coin toss to start the game. This year’s Pedigree Starting Lineup boasted 39 puppies who also competed for the individual Bissell MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) by scoring the most touchdowns with dog-approved toys by Petco. This year’s Bissell MVP was Team Fluff’s Rory, a 17-week-old male poodle mix from Little Dog Rescue in Florida.

For the sixth year in a row, America’s favorite “ Rufferee,” Dan Schachner, returned to call the puppy penalties, furry fumbles and terrier touchdowns.Award-winning animal advocate and television correspondent Jill Rappaport introduced the Subaru Pup Close and Personal segments that highlight some of the heartwarming stories of the adorable athletes.

For Puppy Bowl XIII, Animal Planet worked with 34 different animal shelters and rescue organizations from across 22 states to fill the rosters of #TeamRuff and #TeamFluff with 78 adoptable players for this puppy pile-up. This year, the Bowl also featured three pups with special needs: Doobert (deaf), Lucky (three-legged) and Winston (hearing-and-sight impaired). One special player is drafted to play in Puppy Bowl XIII by celebrity dog Chunk Handler. Plus, viewers got to see the canines conduct their pre-game rituals when the cameras were allowed in the locker room.

While the puppies broke for a cat nap, the Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal Kitty Half-Time Show got underway with a performance by the feline musical group Chicago Rock Cats with Kitty Gaga singing “Puparazzi ” to her little monsters of adoptable rescue kittens.

The puppy teams added rescue mascots to their cheering section. Team Ruff gained the watchful eye of Orlando the Screech Owl, and Team Fluff recruited Muffin the Chinchilla who adds another layer of fluff. Getting the fans excited on the sidelines are rescue rabb its and guinea pig cheerleaders who hop into action. “Meep the Bird” got a ma keover and returned as a rescue African Gray Parrot. Meep talked sports with Geico The Gecko and live tweeted updates throughout the big game.

Plus, Puppy Bowl fans got a glimpse of celebrity dogs Chloe the Mini Frenchie, Chloe Kardoggian, Ella Bean, Marnie the Dog, Manny the Frenchie, Mervin the Chihuahua, Sometimes Carl and Toast Meets World with her siblings Muppets Revenge and Underpants the Dog who watched the biggest game of the year from the stands. As always, fans witnessed Puppy Bow’s water bowl cam, slow-motion playback cam and fan-favorite Dairy Queen kiss cam. Viewers won’t miss a minute of excitement with aerial shots of the field from the Sheba Sky Box, and Surge the Hamster was back on his wheel powering the Puppy Bowl score board.

Puppy Bowl Virtual Reality, sponsored by Pedigree, gave viewers a pup’s eye view of the action on the Geico grid iron through the eyes of Buttons, one of this year’s Puppy Bowl XIII players. Not letting her diminutive size hold her back when tackling opponents in a scrimmage spanning two video halves, Buttons played her way through the piles of puppies, chew toys and assistant coaches to score a winning touchdown.

On game day, puppy supporters were invited to vote in the Most Valuable Puppy poll . Viewer votes determined which heavenly hound gets barking rights and the title of Bissell MVP, which will be revealed at the end of the broadcast. Before and during the action, keep an eye out for guest takeovers on Animal Planet Instagram and Snapchat. This year’s roster includes players from AHeinz57 (Iowa), Big Fluffy Dog Rescue (Tennessee), Citizens for Animal Protection (Texas), Last Hope K 9 (Massachusetts), Miami-Dade County Animal Services (Florida), Mr. Bones & Company (New York), Nevada SPCA, Paw Works (California), Stray Rescue (Missouri), among others.

The ASPCA in New York provided adoptable kittens for the Kitty Half-Time Show; the cheerleading rescue rabbits and guinea pigs are from Luv-N- Bunns (Philadelphia) and Helping All Little Things (New Jersey). The chinchilla mascots were provided by Chin Friends Chinchilla Rescue (New York) and the owl flew in from Volunteers for Wildlife (Long Island). The African parrot was provided by Phoenix Landing rescue (Washington, DC).

(All photos courtesy of Animal Planet)

2017 Kitten Bowl: See all the cute photos and videos

February 6, 2017

Beth Stern and John Sterling (Photo by *Marc Lemoine/Crown Media United States, LLC)*

“Kitten Bowl” is an annual feline “catstravaganza” that airs on Super Bowl Sunday and is presented in association with North Shore Animal League America (the nation’s largest no-kill shelter and animal adoption organization) and Last Hope Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation. Hosted by Beth Stern, a TV personality and national spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America, “Kitten Bowl” is a star-studded lineup that includes legendary New York Yankees radio voice John Sterling and referee Chuck Nice. Hallmark Channel aired the fourth annual “Kitten Bowl” in the U.S. on February 5, 2017. Here are videos and photos from the event.

(All photos by Marc Lemoine/Crown Media United States, LLC)

March Madness-inspired ‘Meow Madness’ kitten basketball TV special debuts on Hallmark Channel

January 7, 2017

Kittens in the inaugural "Meow Madness" TV special. — Kittens in the inaugural “Meow Madness” TV special. (Photo courtesy of Hallmark Channel)

The following is a press release from Hallmark Channel:

Hallmark Channel, the exclusive home of kitten sports and the highly rated “Kitten Bowl” franchise , announces the network’s latest pet-centric programming buzzer beater , “Meow Madness ,” a Hallmark Channel Original Special Event, will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on April 3 , 2017.

“Meow Madness” features author and animal advocate Beth Stern as host and Peabody Award-winning reporter Mary Carillo as commentator. The special will showcase adoptable kittens in the most competitive tournament the basketball world has ever seen. Hallmark Channel enjoys home court advantage for the inaugural “Meow Madness” special as 100 adorable, adoptable “cat-letes” purr-fect an unstoppable zone defense while taking shots from the “flea throw” zone as each team claw s its way to “The Final Fur.”

“Meow Madness” is produced by 3 Ball Entertainment. Executive Producers are Todd A. Nelson, Ross Weintraub, DJ Nurre and Jeff Altrockm, with Kathy Sutula serving as co-executive producer. 3 Ball Entertainment credits include “Extreme Weight Loss” (ABC), “Bar Rescue” (Spike) and “My Cat From Hell” (Animal Planet), among others.

Check out these “Meow Madness” videos: