McDonald’s presents its 2010 365Black Awards, continuing to recognize prominent African Americans who influence and inspire greatness among African Americans and all Americans.

Celebrities and dignitaries from across the country join event emcee Tom Joyner, nationally syndicated radio personality and one of the first recipients of the 365Black Award, along with Sherri Shepherd, television co-host of “The View,” on Friday, July 2, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, to recognize the accomplishments of several noteworthy individuals. Each 2010 recipient of the McDonald’s 365Black Awards exemplifies outstanding community service, empowering new generations for years to come.

This year McDonald’s recognizes Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.; Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore, US Army (Ret); philanthropists Rodney Peete and Holly Robinson Peete; and National Black McDonald’s Operators Association CEO Rita Mack, a New-Jersey-based McDonald’s owner/operator.  These individuals join the ranks of previous 365Black honorees, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, ESSENCE Magazine president Michelle Ebanks and founder Susan Taylor, educator Johnnetta B. Cole, CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien, and NBA legend Alonzo Mourning.

“This year’s McDonald’s 365Black Awards recipients represent another extraordinary group of leaders in America.  From celebrated intellectuals to catalysts in community service, they are accomplished people of tremendous influence,” said Neil Golden, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s USA.  ”They continually inspire all of us with their unique leadership in areas that touch our lives.”

The 365Black Awards were launched in 2003 and are an extension of McDonald’s 365Black initiative, created to celebrate the pride, heritage and achievements of African Americans yearlong.  McDonald’s outreach under the 365Black platform includes the web site www.mcdonalds.com/365black, as well as alliances with organizations that provide opportunities for African Americans to succeed.  

“McDonald’s continues to cultivate the growth of the African American community through recognizing those that empower our consumers to take advantage of academic, economic, employment and career opportunities,” said Rob Jackson, Director of U.S. Marketing, McDonald’s USA. “Our commitment is to celebrate people who truly demonstrate the essence of 365Black, which is all about being ‘deeply rooted in the community®’ everyday.”

The 2010 365Black Awards recipients include:

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. , the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Professor Gates is Editor-in-Chief of TheRoot.com, a daily online magazine focusing on issues of interest to the African American community and written from an African American perspective, and the Oxford African American Studies Center, the first comprehensive scholarly online resource in the field of African American and Africana Studies. Professor Gates is also the critically acclaimed host of multi-part PBS documentary series, “African American Lives 1 and 2.” and “Faces of America.”

Lt. General Russel L. Honore, who led Task Force Katrina in the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2005. General Honore is currently a Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization, where he is working on developing questions to determine levels of preparedness, and a CNN Preparedness Contributor. General Honore retired on February 29, 2008, following 37 years of active service with the United States Army.  

Rodney Peete and Holly Robinson Peete formed the HollyRod Foundation, inspired by her father’s inspiring battle with Parkinson’s disease, with the mission to help improve the quality of life of people plagued with devastating life circumstances. In 2005, inspired by their son, hollyrod4kids was formed to focus on children’s causes and improving the lives of children affected by circumstances beyond their control, specifically autism.  Through hollyrod4kids and her family’s personal experiences, The Peetes have become advocates for consistent and reliable education, outreach and support on autism. 

Rita Mack Chairman and CEO of the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association (NBMOA), oversees the nation’s largest and most successful organization for African American franchisees.  Mack, an operator of nine restaurants in New Jersey, is a tireless leader, dedicated to advancing and celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of the African American community, through ensuring the businesses success of the African American operators who own restaurants throughout the nation.

AARP has launched its second annual “Fat-to-Fit Weight Loss Challenge,” an online program challenging people to make positive, permanent life changes to improve their health. Fitness expert and author Carole Carson, who lost more than 60 pounds at age 60, will lead Fat-to-Fit’s online community members through the 11-week program.

Studies show people are more likely to stick to exercise plans when they have support and the Fat-to-Fit program will focus on personal interaction with both Carson and other participants through the Fat-to-Fit online community, which already boasts more than 4,200 members from last year’s challenge. Here participants will be able to access free diet and fitness tips, Carson’s columns and blogs, videos, recipes and more.

“I’m living proof that you’re never too old to get fit,” said Carson. “Unlike diets and other weight-loss programs, Fat-to-Fit is intended to help people make permanent, positive life changes – not just drop 10 pounds and then return to their former lifestyles. Our hope is to help people break the diet-relapse cycle for good.”

Beginning today, visitors to AARP.org will be invited to join the Fat-to-Fit Summer Weight Loss Challenge. Participants record their weight and activity, and strive to lose pounds. Every time a user updates his/her weight, the Fat-to-Fit site shows how much weight has been lost since joining, and how many pounds the Fat-to-Fit community has lost collectively. Participation in the Fat-to-Fit online community is key to the contest. Participants are urged to post frequent updates and to exchange ideas, encouragement, recipes and moral support.

The challenge will run through Sept. 6, 2010. Throughout the challenge Carson will select weekly prize winners and, when the challenge ends, she will select the top five overall winners. Winners will be selected on three criteria: serving as a role model for the entire community, facing and overcoming challenges, and demonstrating the principles of the Fat-to-Fit program.  The 1st place winner will win a one-year Gold’s Gym membership, with six months of personal training and also receive a trip to Orlando, FL where the winner will participate in a health session alongside Carson at AARP’s Orlando@50+ National Event and Expo., Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2010. Official rules and details are available at www.aarp.org/fat2fit.

With a splash of fireworks, dazzling water-based special effects and a celebrity red carpet (actually a water-inspired blue carpet), the nighttime spectacular “World of Color” made its exciting world premiere Thursday before an audience filled with celebrities and VIPs, at Paradise Bay in Disney California Adventure park.

This new dimension of Disney storytelling, brimming with water, color, music and animation, opens to guests at Disney California Adventure Friday, June 11.

Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer, The Walt Disney Company, joined Thomas O. Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, and Mickey Mouse to welcome the special VIP premiere guests.

“‘World of Color’ is a testament to the creativity, passion, innovation and talent of people throughout our organization,” Iger said. “The combination of water, light, fire, and music makes ‘World of Color’ a truly magical event that showcases beloved Disney characters in an entirely new way.”

Added Staggs: “‘World of Color’ transforms the landscape of the Disneyland Resort and marks a major milestone in the expansion of Disney California Adventure. It’s a spectacular show that is distinctly Disney, and unlike any attraction we’ve created before. It will captivate our guests with an end-of-day experience that is exhilarating, emotional and highly memorable. We are excited to debut this great, new experience for our guests and extremely proud of the talented team that drove its creation.”

There has never been a show like “World of Color,” the mega-scale, after-dark celebration of Disney storytelling. “World of Color” brings animation to life with powerful fountains that become stars of the show as they create one of the world’s largest projected water screens. In just under 25 minutes, “World of Color” immerses audiences in technological wonder and the enchanting magic of beloved Disney and Disney-Pixar characters, combining nearly 1,200 versatile fountains, dazzling colors, Disney music and an all-new kaleidoscope of audio and visual effects, taking water-based entertainment to a new level of artistry.

The inspiration for the show came from Walt Disney himself and “World of Color” features characters and images that span the history of Disney and Disney-Pixar moviemaking.

“Our entire team – from every corner of the Walt Disney Company – is thrilled to finally share ‘World of Color’ with our guests,” said Steve Davison, show director and vice president, parades and spectaculars, for Walt Disney Imagineering. “It’s very exciting to take audiences on an emotional journey as they experience laughter, drama and beauty in this breathtaking extravaganza.”

Disney cast members and crews built nearly an acre of superstructure to support the complex production. Walt Disney Imagineering and Creative Entertainment installed the massive infrastructure and revolutionary technology that created the stage for “World of Color.” On this stage, the team directs a unique variety of water effects, larger-than-life projections, lasers, fog, flames, surround sound, and stunning images.

The sweeping story and stunning effects are created with:

Nearly 1,200 powerful and programmable fountains with heights ranging from 30 feet to 200 feet (50 feet higher than Mickey’s Fun Wheel). Each fountain has multiple points of control to direct the lighting, color intensity, water angle and height.

One of the world’s largest projected water screens – a wall of water 380 feet wide by 50 feet high, for a projection surface of 19,000 square feet.
Nearly 30 high-definition projectors – 14 of them submersible.
Synchronized flame projections, lasers and special effects that will flood the senses.

A soundtrack performed by more than 100 musicians.

“World of Color” has been some five years in the making, beginning with brainstorming by show director Davison and his creative crew. As the concept grew, the Disney team sought out new technologies and multi-media to support a vision in which water and light could dance, change character and move the audience, becoming, in effect, the “stars” of the show.

Helping to tie it all together is a musical score that combines both familiar and new melodies and introduces a newly arranged version of the 1960s television theme for “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” originally composed by Richard B. and Robert M. Sherman, the Oscar-winning composers of “Mary Poppins” and “It’s a Small World.” The “World of Color” score was composed by Mark Hammond, and orchestrated and conducted by David Hamilton, both celebrated music industry professionals.

To see an interactive version of “World of Color,” guests can visit www.disneyland.com/worldofcolor

The National World War II Museum announced that beginning today and in perpetuity all WWII veterans will be admitted free. The news comes as the Museum honors both the 66th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy and celebrates its own 10th birthday.

This announcement was part of an emotional ceremony that brought together more than 1,000 veterans and their family members from across the nation. The event, A Gathering of the Greatest Generation, included a special “roll-call” ceremony where veterans representing all 50 states were honored by the Museum. State by state a veteran stood and recited the number of veterans who served from that state and how many remain today – a poignant reminder of how few WWII veterans are still with us. Family members of deceased veterans also represented some states in their honor.

“With our veterans leaving us at a rate of 900 a day, we are facing a future where gatherings like these will be a rarity,” said Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller, President and CEO of The National World War II Museum.  ”We encourage everyone across the country to show their gratitude to the WWII vets in their community and listen to their stories.”

Thomas Blakey, a WWII vet from the 82nd Airborne Division who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, is just one of the veterans who attended the ceremonies. “It’s important to me that future generations know and understand what we went through in the war,” said Blakey, who now volunteers at the Museum. “Events like this are an opportunity for us to share our stories with Americans of all ages.”

Saturday’s events also included a chance to get up close and personal with some of the Museum’s large artifacts, WWII reenactors, weapons demonstrations and more. More than 2,500 visitors participated in the Saturday activities, with a similar crowd expected for Sunday.

The weekend’s activities will continue on June 6, along with a memorial service and celebration of the Museum’s 10th anniversary.

Visitors can also experience the recently opened Solomon Victory Theater, featuring Beyond All Boundaries, a 4-D cinematic experience executive produced by Tom Hanks; the Stage Door Canteen, a recreation of a wartime entertainment venue; and the American Sector – a Chef John Besh restaurant. The 66th Anniversary weekend is sponsored by Chevron.

The Museum, a non-profit institution, recently kicked off the “$10 for Them” campaign to help underwrite the cost of the free admission for veterans. Donate or find out more at www.10forthem.org.  

D-Day was a coded designation used for the day of any important invasion or military operation. The “D” stands for “day” since the final invasion date was secret and also weather-dependent.

June 6, 1944, marked the invasion of Normandy and the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. It began shortly after midnight with the landing of 24,000 Allied airborne troops. Amphibious landings began around 6:30 am on June 6, 1944, when 156,000 servicemen from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and other Allied countries disembarked from more than 5,000 ships and Higgins landing into a wall of gunfire from German defenders. The operation cost U.S. forces 2,499 dead that day alone, with total Allied deaths reaching 4,414. By June 11, with the beachheads firmly secured, more than 326,000 troops had crossed with more than 100,000 tons of military equipment. Paris was liberated on August 25. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945.

A congenital heart defect survivor is pedaling his bike across America, beginning June 8, 2010, to raise awareness about congenital heart defects and raise $100,000 in research dollars for the Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF).

“BIKE 4 CHF”—the journey of Nels Matson, 27, of Bradenton, Fla.—is a fundraiser of the Children’s Heart Foundation, a national non-profit focused on “Saving Children’s Lives – One Heart at a Time.” CHF funds the most promising research to learn more about congenital heart defects (CHDs), the number-one birth defect in America, which affects 40,000 births every year and one in every 100 newborns.

Matson will ride his road bike 3,709 miles, from California to New York, in 43 days. Along the route, Matson will meet up with and ride alongside CHF supporters of all ages in 15 states and encourage them to donate through his Web site, www.athletes4heart.com.

The Children’s Heart Foundation has named Matson its first ever “KID 4 CHF,” in honor of Matson’s BIKE 4 CHF ride. As Matson crosses the country, he will invite other KIDS 4 CHF to sign his road bike, so they can “ride with him” along the way. KIDS 4 CHF are children who have been diagnosed with a CHD, or who were diagnosed with a CHD at birth and have passed away, who inspire other kids and families facing a diagnosis.

When Matson was three years old, doctors were concerned with the sound of his heart. He was diagnosed with an uncommon congenital heart defect and underwent surgery. He received a clean bill of health at age five and today is remarkably active. Matson wrestled for Iowa State University, and in 2009 began raising funds for the Children’s Heart Foundation through endurance races.

In BIKE 4 CHF, Matson will stop in cities across America for meet ups and quarter-mile ride-a-longs with CHF supporters, and to dedicate segments of his journey to local KIDS 4 CHF.

• Santa Monica, Calif.: June 8
• Las Vegas, Nev.: June 11
• Denver, Colo.: June 22
• Omaha, Neb.: June 30
• Davenport, Iowa: July 4
• Chicago, Ill.: July 7
• South Bend, Ind.: July 8
• Columbus, Ohio: July 13
• Pittsburgh, Pa.: July 15
• Philadelphia, Pa.: July 19
• New York, N.Y.: July 20

With the arrival of summer, so too comes the deadliest time of the year on the road. The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to determine the 100 interstates most likely to generate a fatal wreck.

Methodology; The Daily Beast looked at five years of accident data, courtesy of the National Highway Safety Administration, from nearly 250 stretches of interstate highways to find out which roads are the most deadly, mile-for-mile.

Each interstate was broken into stretches within a single state. The Daily Beast measured fatal accidents, rather than total fatalities, which was then divided by the number of miles of that stretch. And any ties that may appear on these raw numbers driving these rankings are only because of rounding.

For the complete list including statistics on fatal accidents, fatal accidents per mile, and total fatalities for each highway, visit:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-31/deadliest-highways-ranking-the-100-interstates-most-likely-to-cause-a-fatal-crash/

Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch has announced the company’s 2010-2011 season.  The season marks a milestone in Houston Ballet’s history as the company moves into its sleek new $53 million Houston Ballet Center for Dance, the largest facility for professional dance in America, in the spring of 2011, propelling the company into the next phase of its development.

Seven news works enter Houston Ballet’s repertoire during the 2010-2011 season, including the Balanchine evening-length Jewels, featuring Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds; the company premiere of John Cranko’s lavish, comic staging of the Shakespearian classic The Taming of the Shrew; a world premiere by the much in-demand European dance maker Jorma Elo; the American premiere of Houston Ballet Associate Choreographer Christopher Bruce’s Grinning in Your Face; and the company premiere of English choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush in May 2010.

“With our 2010-2011 season, Houston Ballet is ideally positioned to take a great leap forward.  We have an exciting season full of many new works by the world’s leading choreographers.  The company’s upcoming move into our new home in 2011 will provide us with a state-of-the-art facility in the center of Houston’s vibrant Theater District,” remarks Mr. Welch.  ”As I look back over my last seven years with Houston Ballet, we can take pride that we have greatly expanded the repertory with new works, and increased our touring nationally and internationally.”

All performances listed here are in Wortham Theater Center.

September 9 – 19, 2010

BODY, SOUL & GERSHWIN

Featuring:

TU TU

Choreography by Stanton Welch

FORGOTTEN LAND

Choreography by Jiri Kylian

THE CORE: GERSHWIN, THE HEART OF THE BIG APPLE

Choreography by Stanton Welch

Body, Soul & Gershwin, featuring Stanton Welch’s lively and colorful neo-classical work Tu Tu, Kylian’s emotionally charged abstract ballet Forgotten Land, and  The Core: Gershwin, the Heart of the Big Apple, Welch’s Broadway-style ode to 1930s New York City glamour.  

September 23 – October 3, 2010

JEWELS

(Houston Ballet Premiere)

Featuring: EMERALDS, DIAMONDS, RUBIES

Choreography by George Balanchine

The gems in Jewels pay tribute to three golden ages of dance. Poetic and flowing, Emeralds evokes France, the birthplace of Romantic dance. Its ballerinas drift on stage in clouds of tulle, whispering of elegance. Rubies mirrors the carefree spontaneity of America, a sassy, jazzy burst of sunshine. Diamonds dazzles with each shimmering wave of classical elegance.

November 26 – December 26, 2010

THE NUTCRACKER

Choreography by Ben Stevenson, O.B.E.

Ben Stevenson’s breathtaking production of The Nutcracker is, in the words of the Houston Chronicle, “the crown jewel of holiday entertainment.”  Set in nineteenth century Germany, the ballet opens at a charming Christmas party at which the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer gives Clara a magical toy that takes her on an unforgettable journey.  

February 24 – March 6, 2011

MARIE

Choreography by Stanton Welch      

Stanton Welch’s Marie is inspired by the life of the legendary French queen Marie Antoinette. Marie was born an Austrian arch duchess in 1755, married the future French King Louis XVI at the age of 15, and was executed by guillotine at the height of the French Revolution in 1793.

March 10 – 20, 2011

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Choreography by Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., after Marius Petipa

The Sleeping Beauty is recognized as one of the supreme achievements of classical ballet.  A beautiful princess is cursed by an evil fairy, and doomed to sleep for a hundred years — only to be awakened by the kiss of the handsome prince who loves her.  

May 26 – June 5, 2011

RAISING THE BARRE

Featuring:

WORLD PREMIERE BY JORMA ELO

GRINNING IN YOUR FACE (American Premiere)

Choreography by Christopher Bruce

RUSH (Houston Ballet Premiere)

Choreography by Christopher Wheeldon

Raising the Barre features a world premiere by the choreographer Jorma Elo, an American premiere by Christopher Bruce and a company premiere by Christopher Wheeldon.  Wheeldon’s Rush is anchored around a dazzling pas de deux.  Bruce’s Grinning in Your Face evokes a Midwest American community in the 1930s and features conflict, love and rejection, and folksy humor.  Also on the program is Houston Ballet’s first commissioned work by Jorma Elo.

June 9 – 19, 2011

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

Choreography by John Cranko

John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew is a masterful choreographic depiction of Shakespeare’s perpetually battling lovers, Petruchio and Katherina, and of Petruchio’s determination to bend the feisty, independent-spirited and tempestuous Katherina to his will.

Full season subscriptions, with tickets to six productions, range in price from $78 to $996.  To subscribe, call (713) 5-BALLET or purchase online at www.houstonballet.org.

Single tickets go on sale August 2, 2010 and may be purchased by calling 713-227-ARTS or purchased online at www.houstonballet.org.

The U.S. Postal Service continued a 50-year tradition today with the dedication of its latest social awareness stamp — Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet. The 44-cent stamps, on sale nationwide today, feature photographs of five cats and five dogs from animal shelters and rescue groups.  

“As a pet owner myself, I find this campaign enormously gratifying. Because of these stamps and the Stamps to the Rescue campaign, more people will learn about the plight of shelter animals,” said Joseph Corbett, Postal Service Chief Financial Officer. “More people, we believe, will adopt shelter animals, fewer people will abandon their pets, more people will spay or neuter their animals, and fewer animals will suffer.”

Ellen DeGeneres, talk show host, animal advocate and co-owner, HALO, Purely for Pets; Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO, Humane Society of the United States; Betsy Saul, co-founder, Petfinder.com, and Jone Bouman, director of communications, American Humane Association’s Film & TV Unit, joined Corbett on stage at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to pay tribute to the stamps, the campaign and the cause.

The animals featured on the Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet commemorative stamps are based on photographs of cats and dogs from shelters and rescue groups — seven from an animal shelter in New Milford, CT — taken by veteran stamp photographer Sally Andersen-Bruce. Derry Noyes was the designer and art director. All were adopted into loving families.

The Postal Service has been issuing social awareness stamps for more than 50 years. Stamp subjects have included a variety of important social issues of the day. Past stamps have highlighted children’s health, literacy, breast cancer awareness, organ and tissue donation, philanthropy and Alzheimer’s awareness.

The stamps were introduced to the public on The Ellen DeGeneres Show last month. The Postal Service has been working with DeGeneres and HALO, a holistic pet care company she co-owns, to promote the stamps and the Stamps to the Rescue campaign. Created by the Postal Service to provide additional information about the stamps and pet adoption, the campaign includes posters featuring DeGeneres in post offices nationwide as well as an Internet presence at www.stampstotherescue.com.

“If there was just a modest uptick in the percentage of people acquiring their animals from shelters, we would eliminate the euthanasia of healthy pets in this nation,” said Pacelle, president, Humane Society of the United States. “We hope this new Postal Service awareness campaign will place a stamp of approval on shelter dogs and cats and help us lick the problem of pet overpopulation.”

The Postal Service has been working with the American Humane Association, HALO, Purely for Pets, the Humane Society of the US, and Petfinder.com to promote the Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamps, the Stamps to the Rescue campaign and shelter pet adoption as widely as possible.  

“These stamps literally will be sending the adoption message into homes and workplaces all over the country,” said Saul, Petfinder.com co-founder. ”They have the capacity to really make a difference.”  

Cats and dogs have been featured on other U.S. postage stamps. A 13-cent stamp of a kitten and puppy playing in the snow was issued in 1982 for use on holiday postcards; in 1998, images of a cat and a dog were included in the “Bright Eyes” set of five pets; and most recently, in 2002, photographs of a kitten and puppy, also taken by Andersen-Bruce, were featured on the “Neuter or Spay” stamps.

Victoria Stilwell, star of It’s Me or The Dog, will be recognized on February 13, 2010 as the 2009 Trainer of the Year by Dog World® magazine at the 55th Annual Purina® Pro Plan® Show Dogs Of The Year® Awards Presented By Dogs In Review®. The 2009 Trainer of the Year award, presented by Dog World® magazine, recognizes a trainer who exemplifies excellence in canine behavior modification.

Due to the success of her international hit TV show It’s Me or The Dog (airing in the US on Animal Planet) and her best-selling book of the same title, Stilwell is one of the world’s more recognizable and respected dog trainers. Her book and TV show focus on sharing her insight and passion for positive, reward-based dog training with an ever-broadening audience. Central to her philosophy is the idea that to communicate effectively with your dog, you must learn to “Think Dog”. Stilwell was also one of the judges of CBS’ Greatest American Dog and has written a second book Fat Dog Slim: How to Have a Healthy, Happy Pet, focused on the role proper food and exercise have on the general health and behavioral issues in dogs.

In addition to Ms. Stilwell’s award, the Show Dogs of the Year dinner will recognize the seven show dogs with the greatest number of Group Firsts in 2009, most of whom are going on to compete at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show next week. Along with those dogs, there will be Special Industry Awards honoring individuals whose dedication to the dog world is incomparable. These individuals will be honored for heightening public awareness of canine well-being and to elevating respect for the industry at large. Awards include Groomer of the Year, Veterinarian of the Year, Shelter of the Year and Trainer of the Year.

• It’s Me or The Dog
• Fat Dog Slim: How to Have a Healthy, Happy Pet
• Animal Planet

BowTie, Inc. is the leader in special interest pet magazines, trade magazines, books and websites dedicated to pet-loving consumers, pet-supply retailers, veterinarians, breeders, and pet professionals worldwide. Divisions of BowTie, Inc. include BowTie Magazines, BowTie Press, BowTie News, Thoroughbred Times Company, Global Distribution Services, and AnimalNetwork.Com.

With 95 years of tradition under its belt, Dog World is considered the “bible of dog magazines” and for good reason. Generations of breeders, exhibitors and handlers have cut their teeth on Dog World, gaining the knowledge that enables them to produce top-quality show dogs and performance dogs. The magazine’s list of contributors reads like a who’s who of dogdom — world-renowned breeders and exhibitors, successful agility trainers, leading veterinarians and acclaimed judges. It is the resource to turn to for everyone from experienced trainers and handlers to novice owners just beginning to participate in dog activities and sports.