ANIMAL PLANET'S CONFESSIONS: ANIMAL HOARDING RETURNS WITH TEN NEW EPISODES FEATURING SITUATIONS THAT HAVE SPIRALED OUT OF CONTROL

Two-Part "Where Are They Now" Special Kicks off Season With Update on Previous Stories

(Silver Spring, Md. December, 20) -- This January, Animal Planet continues to build awareness of the terrible toll of animal hoarding on both animals and humans with the return of the powerful hit series CONFESSIONS: ANIMAL HOARDING.

First, in a two-part recap special premiering back to back on January 7, at 9 PM and 10 PM (ET/PT), CONFESSIONS: ANIMAL HOARDING REVISITED reconnects viewers with stories told in previous episodes. The special examines the progress of six people from season one who had large menageries of animals and determines how their lives have changed since Animal Planet intervened. In some cases, Animal Planet's cameras capture the positive changes these people have made, but in others, they uncover the raw emotions and negative sides of those unable - or unwilling - to control their hoarding ways.

Then, the series returns starting January 14, at 10PM (ET/PT) with 10 emotional, one-hour episodes, including a first ever - a home overtaken by more than 150 chickens. The all-new CONFESSIONS: ANIMAL HOARDING episodes tell the dramatic tales of individuals overwhelmed by their pets and delve deeper than ever before into the underlying issues that lead these individuals to hoard. Upcoming stories include the following:

A man copes with the emotional stress of his dysfunctional family by owning more chihuahuas than he can care for, ultimately leading to several untimely deaths and a bizarre burial ritual.

A deckhand spends most of his inheritance hoarding cats and chooses to sleep aboard a boat rather than face the destruction they have caused at his home. With no family of his own, he seeks help from his fellow fishermen.

A single father of a two-year-old believes he is on a mission from God to protect pit bulls by gathering as many as possible, regardless of his ability to care for them and despite his family's pleas to stop.

Animal Hoarding-a mostly misunderstood, serious dysfunctional behavior - is the compulsive need to possess and control animals and is often left unaddressed unless it becomes a crime. Animal Planet intervenes with the support of therapists, family members, friends and welfare advocates - giving the hoarder and animals a second lease on life.

CONFESSIONS: ANIMAL HOARDING is produced for Animal Planet by GRB Entertainment. Executive producers for GRB Entertainment are Gary R. Benz, Michael Branton and Dan Jackson, with Dan Partland as consulting producer. Executive producer for Animal Planet is Melinda Toporoff. Marc Etkind is vice president of development for Animal Planet.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 97 million homes in the US; online assets 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; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.