IT'S A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD WHEN ANIMAL PLANET TURNS WORLD CUP INTO "WORLD PUP"

- June 12 Marks the Start of Animal Planet's First-ever Online WORLD PUP Competition -

(Silver Spring, Md., June 9, 2014) - Animal Planet, the network that brings viewers their annual fix of PUPPY BOWL is on the ball, turning its attention from American football to the original football!

WORLD PUP is the network's cute, cuddly and shamelessly adorable alternative to the 2014 World Cup. Beginning Thursday, June 12, at AnimalPlanet.com/WorldPup, the network kicks off its own single-elimination tournament, which allows fans to root for countries based on the dog breed that best represents them. Sixteen dogs proudly bark for their home countries, most of which are top contenders in the 2014 World Cup, and each competes paw to paw as the world decides which is named 'Top Dog.'

Fans are encouraged to visit the WORLD PUP site to watch cute clips of each canine contestant and then make their bracket selections. In addition, votes placed via Twitter, using the hashtag that corresponds to each dog, count toward the final tallies.

So, if you are a fan of France's French bulldog or Belgium's Brussels Griffon, or if you must vote for the Alaskan Malamute, hailing from the United States, don't watch from the sidelines; get online and get voting!

On the same day the esteemed World Cup athletes take centerfield, our puppies prepare to score their own goals. The first four matchups include the following:

· Spain's Great Pyrenees vs. Netherlands' keeshond

· Cameroon's Basenji vs. Mexico's Chihuahua

· Germany's Dachshund standard vs. Portugal's Portuguese water dog

· England's Old English sheepdog vs. Italy's Italian greyhound

Can WORLD PUP's 'pup'ular pooches predict the winners of the 2014 games in Brazil like Paul the Octopus did four years ago for the World Cup in South Africa? Keep up with our pups in the upcoming weeks to see which brings home the trophy! On July 10, the canine competition ends, and the winner is announced at AnimalPlanet.com/WorldPup.

To keep everyone's head in the game, the adorable and adoptable stars of Animal Planet L!VE's Puppy Cam are celebrating the WORLD PUP by kicking around a few balls themselves. Visit APL.TV for Puppy Cam and 20+ cams providing you access to the animal kingdom.