ANIMAL PLANET ASKS AMERICA TO ELECT ITS FAVORITE PET WITH DECISION 2012

-- Historic Campaign Launches on February 20, In Honor of President's Day --

(Silver Spring, MD) - Washington and Jefferson preferred pooches, Lincoln and Kennedy were fond of felines, and McKinley and LBJ were batty for birds. This President's Day, Animal Planet pays tribute to our nation's heads of state - and their famous first pets - by announcing DECISION 2012: ELECT AMERICA'S FAVORITE PET. This year-long campaign will determine the country's first-ever clear-cut choice for animal companion from one of three parties - dogs, cats and independents - and your pet could end up winning this really important decision in 2012.

Beginning February 20, Animal Planet wants you to visit animalplanet.com/decision2012 and nominate your pets to become breed representatives for their prospective parties in the species primaries. As the election gets underway, these representatives will have their qualifications questioned in the categories of cuteness, intelligence, agility, animal welfare and more. In this campaign, the videos and photos users upload to the site will serve as the propaganda to persuade Americans where to cast their votes in the search for the premiere pet.

In contentious caucuses and perilous primaries, these cute clips will serve as the political fodder that is sure to test the party loyalties of all American citizens. With new representatives nominated each week, checking the latest polls and reading up on recent scandals will keep you informed as each new pet entry has the potential to be a game changer. Houses will be divided, families will be torn, and you may even discover that your state has flipped from cat to dog -- or even to another pet entirely. This election season is sure to be heated, and it's up to every American to perform his/her civic duty and elect this great country's first official favorite pet.

About 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 96 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.