ST. CHARLES, Mo. and NEW
YORK, Nov. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/
-- Royal Canin, a global pet food leader, The American Kennel
Club and Animal Planet today announced the AKC National
Championship Dog Show Presented by Royal Canin will premiere on
Animal Planet on New Year's Day,
Monday, Jan. 1, 2018 at 7PM ET. An encore of the special will
air at 11PM ET. Actor, television
personality, and dog lover Jerry
O'Connell serves as this year's guest host, joining
co-hosts, sportscasters Jason Knapp
and Sam Ryan and AKC Executive
Secretary Gina DiNardo.
The AKC National Championship is one of the most prestigious dog
shows in North America, with more
than 8,600 entries from around the world expected to compete for
various prestigious titles across events and thousands vying for
the biggest monetary award in the world of dog sports. Animal
Planet audiences will see highlights from each competition
category, including agility, dock diving, and the
highly-anticipated Best in Show. The competition takes place in
Orlando, Fl. on Dec. 16 and 17, 2017.
"Animal Planet is excited to premiere the AKC National
Championship on New Year's Day, which
will allow our audiences across numerous platforms the opportunity
to start 2018 with some of the world's most beloved dog breeds,"
said Erin Wanner, Vice President,
Production, Animal Planet.
After experiencing the competition for the first-time last year,
O'Connell is back to guest host parts of the competition, including
the Best in Show finale, and take the Animal Planet audiences on a
rare behind-the-scenes look at the largest dog show in the
country.
"I'm honored to again be a part of the AKC National Championship
presented by Royal Canin where dog lovers will be able to see
hundreds of breeds competing for top honors in the conformation
ring, as well as see the tremendous things dogs can do through
companion events, including agility, obedience and dock diving,"
said O'Connell, owner of a German Shepherd Dog. "There is no better
way to learn about these impressive dogs and all of their talents
than by seeing this show firsthand. We're excited to create a great
show for Animal Planet so the viewers at home will feel like they
were there for every exciting moment."
Kamie Eckert, Royal Canin
USA President added, "Royal Canin
is a company passionate about purebreds. That's why we are thrilled
to share this passion with audiences across the country this
New Year's Day, as they tune in to
the AKC National Championship on Animal Planet. Viewers can look
forward to seeing a show that highlights the magnificent details
that make dogs extraordinary."
This year's AKC National Championship takes place at
Orlando's Orange County Convention Center and will
introduce several new elements, including special appearances by
U.S. Marine and Military Police K9 Handler Megan Leavey at the
Eukanuba booth and other events throughout the show. Eukanuba,
which helped the AKC create the event in 2001, returns as a sponsor
of the companion events, as the AKC National Championship
celebrates its 17th year.
"Each year, we continue to attract thousands of the best canine
competitors from around the world," explained Dennis Sprung, Show Chairman and President &
CEO of the AKC. "This year is no exception, and we look forward to
the opportunity to show the human-canine bond to Animal Planet
viewers. The network's long-standing commitment to animals and
education makes them a perfect network partner, aligned with our
mission of advocating for our canine companions."
Orlando attendees will also get the
chance to see the first AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy
and Junior Stakes. The new event was
created exclusively for puppy and junior purebred dogs, ages six to
18 months, and will take place prior to the AKC National
Championship on Friday, Dec. 15,
2017. For those who want to see the AKC National
Championship activities live, events will be streamed online at
www.royalcanin.com/akcdogshow.
This year's AKC National Championship will feature a dynamic
line-up of broadcast sponsors including: Nature's Miracle®,
ProSense®, Eukanuba™, Banfield Pet Hospital®, and AKC Pet
Insurance. Each of the sponsors, along with the AKC and Royal
Canin, share the same passion and support for purebred dogs, as
well as a commitment to create the most successful dog show on
television.
Additional information about this year's show, including breed
categories, events and more, are available to online users at
www.akc.org/events/national-championship or
www.royalcanin.com/akcdogshow.
ANIMAL PLANET
Animal Planet, a multi-media business
unit of Discovery Communications, is the network of hit
franchise series and special programming dedicated to animals
and the natural world that includes RIVER
MONSTERS, DR. JEFF: ROCKY MOUNTAIN VET, PIT
BULLS & PAROLEES, TANKED, TREEHOUSE MASTERS, THE VET LIFE, THE
ZOO and PUPPY BOWL, the largest non-sports TV
event on Super Bowl Sunday. Animal Planet is the premiere TV,
digital and social community for all things animal, providing
immersive, engaging, high-quality content across all Animal Planet
platforms including: Animal Planet television
network, available in more than 90 million homes in the U.S., that
is complimented with a deep Video On
Demand offering; online assets www.animalplanet.com,
the ultimate online destination for animal lovers and pet owners;
the Animal Planet Go app that allows viewers to
catch up on full episodes of their favorite shows anytime
anywhere; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital
destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access via live cameras
around the globe in a variety of animal habitats; Animal
Planet Social including Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram via @AnimalPlanet and on Snapchat as AnimalPlanetTV.
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Discovery Communications
(Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 pay-TV programmer
reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220
countries and territories. For 30 years Discovery has been
dedicated to satisfying curiosity and entertaining viewers with
high-quality content through its global television brands, led by
Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and
Science, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey
Network. Discovery controls Eurosport, the leading pan-regional
sports entertainment destination across Europe, Asia
Pacific, the Middle East
and Africa. Discovery also is a
leading provider of educational products and services to schools,
including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks,
through Discovery Education, and a digital leader with a
diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks.
For more information, please
visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
Founded in 1884, the American
Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the
largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the
sport of purebred dogs in the United
States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of
its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for
type and function. Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and
member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates
for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health
and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and
promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions
for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and
regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience,
rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt
tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations
include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC
Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog. For more information, visit
www.akc.org. Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook,
and follow us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers.
AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and
design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks,
registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel
Club, Inc.
ROYAL CANIN USA
Royal
Canin USA is a leader in
science-based cat and dog health nutrition. Founded by a
veterinarian in 1968, Royal Canin has more than 40 years of
experience in delivering individualized nutritional solutions. In
collaboration with an expert team of nutritionists, breeders and
veterinarians from around the world, Royal Canin places cats and
dogs at the central point of the innovation process. The Royal
Canin product line offers a range of diets based on size, age,
breed, lifestyle and therapeutic requirements. Royal Canin diets
are available at veterinary hospitals and pet specialty stores
nationwide. Royal Canin is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. To
learn more about Royal Canin, visit www.royalcanin.com and "LIKE"
us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/royalcaninus.
EUKANUBA
With over 45 years of research, EUKANUBA™
brand offers a complete food lineup, delivering exceptional
nutrition by life stage and breed size to promote peak physical
condition and activity. For more information, please visit
www.eukanuba.com or at www.facebook.com/eukanuba.
SPECTRUM BRANDS
Pro·Sense and Nature's Miracle
products are manufactured by Spectrum Brands Holdings (NYSE: SPB).
Spectrum Brands, a member of the Russell 1000 Index, is a global,
diversified consumer products company and a leading supplier of
consumer batteries, residential locksets, residential builders'
hardware, plumbing, shaving and grooming products, personal care
products, small household appliances, specialty pet supplies, lawn
and garden and home pest control products, personal insect
repellents and auto care products. For more information, visit
www.spectrumbrands.com.
BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL
Founded in Portland, Ore.,
in 1955, Banfield® is the largest
general-veterinary practice in the world. In 2007, Banfield joined
the Mars, Inc. family of businesses, and today has more than 1,000
hospitals across the United States. More than 3,500
Banfield veterinarians are committed to providing high-quality
veterinary care for three million pets annually. Banfield's
charitable arm, the Banfield Foundation, was established in 2015 as
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the
well-being of pets and communities. In 2017, Banfield Pet Hospital
– including the work of the Banfield Foundation – was named
among Points of Light's Civic 50 as one of the most
community-minded companies in the U.S. Press seeking additional
information are invited to visit Banfield.com or call
the Media Hotline: (888) 355-0595.
AKC PET INSURANCE
AKC Pet Insurance, administered by
PetPartners, Inc., has served as the exclusive pet insurance
provider of the American Kennel Club since 2002. Based out of the
AKC business offices in Raleigh,
NC, AKC Pet Insurance offers affordable, comprehensive pet
health insurance to dogs and cats of all ages and breeds in all 50
states. For more information, visit
https://www.akcpetinsurance.com or call 866-725-2747.
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SOURCE Royal Canin USA