Press Release

ASPCA^® Expert to Appear on PBS Nature Series

Nature’s ‘Why We Love Cats & Dogs’ to Feature ASPCA^®’s Meet Your Match^® Adoption Program

February 11, 2009

ASPCA Media Contact

NEW YORK— The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today announced that its Senior Director of Shelter Research & Development, Dr. Emily Weiss, will appear on an upcoming episode of THIRTEEN’s Nature series entitled ‘Why We Love Cats and Dogs.’ The episode premieres nationally on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 8 p.m. EST on PBS (check local listings).

“We are thrilled to be a part of this upcoming episode of the Nature series,” said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. “One of the greatest gifts we can receive in life is the unconditional love from a pet, and we are proud to be a part of this project which celebrates that unique bond.”

The episode, which will explore the close relationships people have with their four-legged friends, will include a segment about the ASPCA^®’s Meet Your Match^® (ASPCA MYM) adoption program and how it is improving the way animal shelters match adoptable pets with their perfect pet parents.

Filmed over the course of several days last June at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley (HSBV) in Boulder, Colo. – a premier adoption center which uses ASPCA MYM – the segment chronicles the adoption stories of several Colo. residents. These adopters were given the unique opportunity to have their experience enhanced by both the experienced Adoptions staff at HSBV and the participation of Dr. Weiss, who developed the program, in some of the assessments and introductions.

ASPCA MYM includes research-based behavior assessments that determine the “Canine-ality™” and “Puppy-ality™” of adoptable dogs and puppies, as well as the “Feline-ality™” of adoptable cats, and matches them with their perfect pet parents. Based on their Canine-ality™, Puppy-ality™, or Feline-ality™ Assessment, the animals are assigned one of nine canine-alities, puppy-alities, or feline-alities which fall into three major categories. These categories are color-coded purple, orange, and green respectively, and the descriptions are added to the animal’s kennel card. Some examples include the relaxed and laid back “Couch Potato,” the affectionate and loving “Secret Admirer,” and action hero-type “Go-Getter.”

For more information about the PBS Nature series, please visit www.pbs.org/nature. For more information about the ASPCA and its programs, please visit www.ASPCA.org.

###

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) is the first humane organization established in the Americas and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare. One million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. The ASPCA, which is headquartered in New York City, offers a wide range of programs, including a mobile clinic outreach initiative, its own humane law enforcement team, and a groundbreaking veterinary forensics team and mobile animal CSI unit. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.

Print this Page

Send to a Friend