Animal Planet's PUPPY BOWL III Kicks-Off February 4 With All New 'Players' and a New Pre-Game Event

Animal Planet's PUPPY BOWL III Kicks-Off February 4 With All New 'Players' and a New Pre-Game Event

- The All-New TAILGATE PARTY is the One-Stop-Shop for Puppy-Partying-Fun -

SILVER SPRING, Md., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Superbowl(TM) Sunday's best gridiron battle no longer takes place between sweaty men in pads and helmets; it's puppies unleashed! Animal Planet's PUPPY BOWL III, premieres on Sunday, February 4, from 3-6 PM (ET/PT). Get in the game with tackles, fumbles and fouls from playful pups that just can't get enough of the action. Frolicking kittens return for an all-new edition of the BISSELL KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW.

These pups know that no football game is complete without a stellar game bash. This year, Animal Planet introduces the all-new TAILGATE PARTY -- where perfectly poised pups sit and cheer for their favorite players to come out on top. Join Choop the Chihuahua, T-Rex the Poodle and Jake the Jack Russell Terrier as they watch the big plays from game day's hottest tailgate party. Things may get a little "ruff" on screen, but these adorable spectators don't seem to mind as they root on the players.

"Since it first aired in 2004, viewers of all ages connect with PUPPY BOWL in a unique way and now look forward to making it part of their Super Bowl festivities every year, and we do our best to keep it fresh and entertaining," says Maureen Smith, Animal Planet Media Enterprises executive vice president and general manager. "This special is adorable, and fun to watch while it informs viewers about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets and the need for adoption of homeless pets. During this year's Puppy Bowl, we encourage viewers to go onto our new sister service, Petfinder.com, to look for a new furry family member."

PUPPY BOWL III cameras catch all of the rig-"grr"-ous action of the puppies as they pounce and play with one another in their brand new stadium. With instant replays, the popular water bowl cam and flags for "puppy penalties," viewers can decide which pup is their favorite. As in previous years, viewers have the chance to choose the game's MVP (Most Valuable Puppy) by logging on to http://www.animalplanet.com/. Animal Planet will tally the vote and announce the winner after the game.

Many of the charming canines featured in PUPPY BOWL III come from the Washington (D.C.) Animal Rescue League and other local shelters where countless animals wait to find good homes. While on the website, Animal Planet will direct viewers to its sister service, PETFINDER.COM, the best resource for finding adoptable pets. Here, interested viewers can obtain more information about adopting a pet in their own community.

For all the feline fans, the BISSELL KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW is back for round two! The frisky felines strut their stuff on a glittery stage and chase each other around the field. Prince's performance has nothing on these tiny tabbies and cuddly calicos, which proves that batting around a ball of yarn is all the entertainment you need. It's the pick of the litter for halftime shows!

PUPPY BOWL III, the BISSELL KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW and the TAILGATE PARTY are productions of the Discovery Production Group. For Animal Planet, Margo Kent is the executive producer. Animal-friendly companies such as Bissell Homecare, Inc., Pedigree and Subaru are sponsoring the special.

Animal Planet Media Enterprises (APME), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications Inc, connects humans and animals with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for entertainment, information and enrichment. APME consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in over 89 million homes in the US; online assets http://www.animalplanet.com/, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

To download photos from PUPPY BOWL III, KITTY HALF-TIME SHOW and the TAILGATE PARTY, go to http://www.press.discovery.com/, click US networks; Animal Planet; Photography and Artwork.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Animal Planet Media Enterprises

CONTACT: Melissa Olear, +1-240-662-2946, Melissa_Olear@discovery.com or
Debbie Gottschalk, +1-240-662-2930, Deborah_Gottschalk@discovery.com, both of
Animal Planet Media Enterprises

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/
http://www.press.discovery.com/
http://www.animalplanet.com/
http://petfinder.com/

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