ANIMAL PLANET RENEWS "PIT BULLS & PAROLEES" FOR SEVENTH SEASON

- Tia Torres and New Orleans' Villalobos Rescue Center Return with 21 New Episodes in Fall 2015 -

- Two-Hour Season Six Finale Event Premieres This Saturday, March 21, from 9 - 11 PM (ET/PT) -

(New York, New York) - For six seasons, millions of loyal viewers have followed Tia Torres' ongoing mission to save man and man's best friend in Animal Planet's PIT BULLS & PAROLEES. Today, the network announces the renewal of the hit series for a seventh season, with 21 brand new episodes beginning in fall 2015. Additionally, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES will celebrate its 100th episode milestone during the seventh season run.

On Saturday, March 21, beginning at 9 AM (ET/PT), Animal Planet will air a Viewer's Choice Marathon featuring top episodes from the series as recently voted by PIT BULLS & PAROLEES' mega fans on AnimalPlanet.com. At 9 PM (ET/PT), viewers can catch up on the most memorable moments of the current season with never-before-seen footage, an insider's look behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew, and updates on past adoptions. Then, on the season finale titled "Why We Go On" at 10 PM (ET/PT), Tia battles with a local shelter over the fate of a scared and potentially aggressive pit bull. Later, a local couple returns to Villalobos in hopes to find another furry companion for their family. And, after a long recovery, a dog that was rescued from the brink of death finally has a shot at a forever home in Boston. From 9 PM - 11 PM (ET/PT), fans will have the chance to see their own pit bulls live on air by submitting photos using #ShowUsYourPits on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

"PIT BULLS & PAROLEES continues to strike a chord with a very passionate and proud community of animal advocates around the world that have accepted and supported the ethos of Tia Torres and Villalobos," said Rick Holzman, General Manager and Executive Vice President of Animal Planet. "By sharing her life on-air, online with her 1.3 million Facebook fans, and every medium in between, Tia brings her selfless journey to life while inspiring millions with her core values."

PIT BULLS & PAROLEES is produced for Animal Planet by 44 Blue Productions and Rive Gauche Television. Rasha Drachkovitch is the executive producer for 44 Blue Productions. For Animal Planet, Lisa Lucas is the executive producer, and Patrick Keegan is the producer.

Animal Planet, 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. Animal Planet consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, and merchandising extensions.