Editor’s Note: It should go without saying that we here at Petsblogs are always on board with supporting a worthy animal-related cause, and this one’s no different. If you have an account on Facebook, please visit their Facebook page and consider becoming a fan. You even have the option of voting for a rescue organization in your area!

Purina, Kroger, and animal lover Trista Sutter, from ABC’s The Bachelorette, have teamed up to launch the third-annual Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart campaign, celebrating the unique bond between people and their pets, while donating funds to animal welfare organizations nationwide. Together Purina and the Kroger family of stores will donate $150,000 to animal welfare organizations in 2010 as part of this year’s campaign and will recognize the outstanding efforts of animal welfare organizations nationwide. The campaign will conclude with a television special showcasing the unique people-pet relationship.

Last year’s show spotlighted 6 amazing stories from around the country. Tales of love and compassion from individuals and their four-legged companions included:

• Champion surfing team of Scott Chandler and Zoey, his Jack Russell terrier
• Helen Johnson and her passion for rescuing retired greyhound racers
• The award winning arson detective team of Fred Andes and chocolate lab Sadie
• World champion juggler Gregory Popovich and his troupe of animal actors
• Dr. Gail Powell-Johnson and her sight-saving surgeries
• Photodographer J. Nichole Smith and the magic of the basset

See clips from the 2009 show.
See clips from the 2008 show.
Share your tale.
The 2010 Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart will air this Fall!

Purina’s working to grow the Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TalesForThePetLoversHeart. So if you’re on Facebook we encourage you to visit the page and click the “Like” button to show your support. Obtain useful, up-to-date information about the program, leave a note on their wall, upload a photo to share, and more.

This year, Purina and the Kroger family of stores are donating a total of $150,000 to 18 animal welfare organizations across the country. One lucky shelter has the opportunity to receive $50,000. You can help by voting for the shelter organization of your choice. 100% of the donation amount goes to participating organizations, which provide care and shelter to adoptable pets in communities like yours.

PetLoversVote.com

For more information, check out Purina’s TalesForThePetLoversHeart.com.

A HEROIC DOG’S POTENTIAL IS DEFINED BY BOUNDLESS GRACE

Natasha Henstridge and Harry Hamlin star in a Hallmark Channel original movie about a rescue dog from a small town shelter who, in time, rescues her forever family right back.

Premiers June 26th at 9/8c on the Hallmark Channel!

When a New York City fashion designer returns home to her family’s struggling farm, she finds new purpose training a herding dog, and discovers that her four-legged shepherd has the talent to turn an increasingly inhospitable cattle farm into profitable sheep country in “You Lucky Dog,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie premiering Saturday, June 26 (9p.m. ET/PT, 8C). Natasha Henstridge (“Eli Stone”) and four-time Golden Globe nominee Harry Hamlin (“Veronica Mars”) star in the story about facing failure and overcoming the odds.

After the sudden death of her mother, Lisa Rayborn (Henstridge) travels home to smalltown Rockton, where her brother, Jim (Hamlin), and dad, Clay (Lawrence Dane, “Bride of
Chucky”), are still mourning. To make matters more difficult for the family, Jim has begun raising Merino sheep on the farm against his father’s wishes. Jim hopes the Merino fleece would turn a better profit for the farm, but without a superior working dog, his sheep have instead made him the laughing stock of the town.

Deciding to stay home and help, Lisa goes to the local animal shelter and adopts Lucky, a Border Collie who Jim’s prime nemesis in ranching has just dumped. Jim wants nothing to do with Lucky knowing his biggest competitor thought so little of the dog. But Lisa, who sees the underdog in herself reflected in the pup, works vigorously with Lucky, and the dog shows such remarkable progress that the siblings decide to enter her in the town’s annual herding dog contest. But when unforeseen disasters put more than prize money in jeopardy, Lisa and Jim must ask more from Lucky than they ever could have imagined.

“You Lucky Dog” is a Chesler/Perlmutter production. Lewis B. Chesler and David M. Perlmutter, Robert Halmi, Sr. and Robert Halmi, Jr. are the executive producers. Robert Vaughn is the producer and Marek Posival is the co-producer. John Bradshaw directed from a script by Kevin Commins.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 90 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel is the nation’s leading network in providing quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, general entertainment and home and lifestyle content. Hallmark Channel’s sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on the greatest family movies of all time.

Animal Planet airs a special program tonight, at 10 p.m. EST/PST, exposing the grim underworld of U.S. dogfighting.

Animal Planet Investigates is a compelling new series of quarterly specials, beginning with the premier of “Dogfighting Exposed.” This new series brings animal protection issues and investigative journalism together in a show spotlighting the complex, behind-the-scenes work of advocating for animals.

Tonight’s special features never-seen footage from high-profile dogfighting raids, as well as interviews with The HSUS’ animal fighting experts, John Goodwin and Chris Schindler, and other team members. The prime-time special promises to take viewers on nail-biting busts, exploring what is being done to educate and rehabilitate offenders and touching on their work with the Michael Vick case.

It also showcases their End Dogfighting program, which diverts inner-city youths from dogfighting and casts pit bulls in the image of friends, not fighters.

While revealing the ugliness of dogfighting, the program shows the immense progress the HSUS has made against it and offers hope for saving dogs from this cruel fate.

A Starring Role for The HSUS – Animal Planet sets new TV standard for animal issue programing.

Complete list of air times for Animal Planet Investigates: Dogfighting Exposed.

Tonight’s episode of DogTown features an especially inspiring story of a mixed-breed dog who survived living in the wild near the Grand Canyon. Shaggy is a feral dog, having spent years of extreme weather and hardship and is, understandably so, unable to trust and interact with humans. After six years spent alone in the Grand Canyon, this wild and dreadlocked pup is heading to DogTown with Sherry Woodard.

Then Dr. Mike and his wife turn to John Garcia for help with their dog Penny, a mischievous beagle mix whose uncontrollable behavior must be corrected before she causes more damage to their happy home. John provides some pretty neat puppy puzzles to help keep the rambunctious pup occupied.

And, finally, Reggie’s family can no longer afford the veterinary care for this elkhound mix and surrender him to DogTown, where he is treated for a mysterious disease that is slowly destroying his nose and ears.

Check out Penny and the toys that provide her with the mental exercise she’s craving:

Be sure to catch Sanctuary, tonight’s episode of DogTown, at 10PM ET/PT on NatGeo!

(Four $1,000 Runners Up Prizes Also Offered To Best TV Ads Promoting 2009AKC/Eukanuba National Championship; You Tube & Judges Panel To Determine Winners)

Get out your cell phones, video camera, film gear or DVD equipment and prepare to produce your first television commercial in a “dog-eat-dog” competition. A $5,000 first prize will be presented to the individual with the best/most popular TV ad promoting the 2009 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship to be held in Long Beach, Calif. December 12 & 13. The top five finalists (four $1,000 runners up prizes also will be awarded) will be honored and their commercials shown during the two-day event, which is expected to draw more than 25,000 attendees. No submissions by professionals will be accepted. To qualify, commercials must:

1. Be no longer than 30 seconds in length
2. Feature the name of the show (2009 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship)
3. Furnish necessary details including show dates (Dec 12 & 13), location (Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center) and ticket information (www.akc.org or Ticketmaster)

To be considered, your commercial must be titled, 2009 AKC Eukanuba Commercial Contest (title must be exact in order to qualify). Contenders are required to upload their entries onto You Tube and the five with the most “views” will become finalists. A panel of judges including top TV/commercial producers, commercial agents and advertising experts will choose the winning entry. (Contest organizers will be the sole interpreters of You Tube’s view counter and will not be held responsible for any fluctuations that may occur for any reason.) No animals (or humans) can be harmed in the making of your commercial. Violating any of these rules will result in disqualification.

The 2009 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship is a two-day event featuring 3,000 of the world’s finest canines going head to head in various competitions all in pursuit of the Best In Show championship. Dogs and their handlers will participate in a range of events including the AKC Agility Invitational, AKC National Obedience Invitational and the breed competitions that will lead to the crowning of the champ. Among the family-fun highlights:

• DOG SENSORY EXHIBIT – For the first time you will be able to see, smell and hear exactly like a dog at this multi-sensory exhibit;
• MASSIVE DOG MALL – More than 100 products including Swarovski embellished collars, leads and apparel (for dogs and humans); fine designer jewelry (for pets and humans); dog art and collectables; eco-friendly pet collars and accessories; bronze portrait sculptures; handmade dog clothing; and doggie treadmills will be among the items available for purchase at the world’s largest specially constructed “dog mall”;
• MEET THE BREEDS – You will be able to interact with more than 150 different pure breeds and learn about their personalities and temperaments, responsible dog ownership and which breeds best suit your lifestyle;
• LUXURY POOCH PALACE EXHIBIT – 10 luxury pooch palaces – each designed by a different local nonprofit organization – will be displayed;
• SUPER DOG COMPETITION – Watch Labradors, Collies and other breeds sail through the air into an indoor pool to see which one goes the farthest in this impressive competition;
• POLICE DOG DEMO – They track the scent of criminals, detect illicit drugs carefully hidden and assist in the apprehension of suspects and now these public servants will show off their skills;
• INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS – Test your knowledge of the world of dogs by participating in a game show competition much like the popular television hit, “Jeopardy;”
• CELEBRITY APPEARANCE – World-famous Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, an avid dog-lover, will be on hand to greet the public, answer questions about dog ownership, sign autographs and take photos.

It’s Puppy Time!
From a bundle of love to full-grown canine, Cesar shows how to raise the perfect dog.

(WASHINGTON, D.C. — SEPTEMBER 16, 2009) In five seasons and more than 100 episodes, Cesar has seen every canine case imaginable — red-zone aggression, fearful anxiety and just plain weird. But never before has he shown viewers how they can avoid these problems from the very start! In the sixth season premiere of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: How to Raise the Perfect Dog, Cesar goes back to the basics, adopting four adorable pups and filming them living with him and his pack for their first eight months to show viewers how to avoid problems from the very start.

“I realize I may actually be putting myself out of business with this episode,” joked the three-time Emmy nominee. “But I wanted to adopt four different breeds and work with them in my pack from the very beginning, showing that if you prevent bad behaviors in puppyhood, you can steer clear of canine nightmares down the road.”

The season premiere is also the documentary companion to Cesar’s fourth book, How to Raise The Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond, released nationwide by Harmony Books, a division of Random House, Inc., on Tuesday, October 6.

How to Raise the Perfect Dog begins the sixth season of Dog Whisperer with 30 all-new episodes. This year Cesar also goes international, searching out problem dogs down under in Australia! Plus, he takes a road trip to Texas, works with NASA astronauts, visits “The Biggest Loser’s” Jillian Michaels, helps former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum and much more.

The season premiere begins with Junior, a pit bull pup Cesar hopes will someday assist him with his toughest cases now that his trusted right hand Daddy is nearing retirement. Daddy and Cesar have been a team since Daddy was four months old, and any fan of Dog Whisperer knows Daddy accompanies Cesar on many of his hardest cases — including a visit with Oprah! But with age come limitations. So, in order to ease Daddy into retirement, Cesar adopted the first young puppy for his puppy project — Junior. Daddy and Junior were instantly attracted to one another, and thus Junior joined Cesar’s pack.

Next Cesar selects a Labrador pup to join the pack. Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue brings two labs to Cesar’s Dog Psychology Center. Cesar is immediately drawn to the calm, submissive male, whom Cesar slowly introduces to the pack at the center. The pack mentality of all the dogs has never been clearer, as you can see firsthand how — with no human interaction — the pack slowly takes in the new puppy. Cesar eventually names this little guy Marley, after one of the world’s most famous bad dogs (the subject of last year’s hit movie “Marley & Me,” about the life of Cesar’s client and friend John Grogan).

For the next two puppies, Cesar selects a miniature schnauzer, Angel, and an English bulldog, Mr. President. The goal is to raise four balanced pups of different breeds, and to make the most of each breed’s characteristics. For the next eight months, our cameras are there as Cesar shows viewers how to raise the perfect dog.

Cesar begins by setting rules, boundaries and limitations early on — a mantra familiar to any viewer. As the new pack demonstrates, Cesar isn’t the only one setting the rules — it takes only a hint of a growl from Daddy to send Junior, Angel, Marley and Mr. President into Daddy-pleasing mode.

Cesar walks through how to deal with over-excitement, common in many young dogs, and how to overcome this type of behavior from the very beginning using calm, assertive energy. Cesar goes through the important rituals such as mealtime, and how to start them young with a routine. Next up is housebreaking — which can become an owner’s worst nightmare, or, if done right — Cesar’s Way — comes with no drama.

And of course, no Cesar boot camp would be complete without the all-important ritual of exercise. For the new pups, Cesar looks to swimming as a key element. Surprisingly, all the new puppies take to the water except one — Marley, the only real water breed. Cesar shows Marley how to overcome this fear early.

Finally, Cesar addresses socialization — bringing the new puppies to the dog park — and a message very important to Cesar about spaying and neutering your dogs. We join Cesar as he takes Mr. President to the doctor to get fixed.

At the end of the eight months, Cesar proudly passes Marley, Angel and Mr. President on to new homes. And Junior is a permanent member of the Millan household — and on Dog Whisperer.

About Dog Whisperer
Each episode of Dog Whisperer follows dog behavior specialist Cesar Millan as he goes directly into the homes of dog owners — without any prior information about the dog’s case — and documents the remarkable transformations that take place under Cesar’s calm, assertive guidance. The hugely popular series has grown into a pop culture phenomenon, including parodies on “South Park” and “Saturday Night Live”; references on popular shows including “Jeopardy!” and Bravo’s hit series “Work Out”; appearances on “Oprah,” “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Martha Stewart,” “Today Show,” “The View” and “Live with Regis and Kelly”; and a guest star role for Cesar on the hit series “Ghost Whisperer.”