ANIMAL PLANET'S FAN-FAVORITE "PIT BULLS & PAROLEES" RETURNS FOR A SEVENTH SEASON THIS SEPTEMBER

- With Room Running Out at Villalobos, Pit Bull Advocate Tia Torres Opens Satellite Locations in Rural Louisiana to Care For More Than 400 Dogs -

- PIT BULLS & PAROLEES Celebrates its 100th Episode Milestone During its Seventh Season, Which Begins September 19 -

(New York) - For more than 20 years, Tia Torres has dedicated her life to Villalobos Rescue Center, the largest pit bull rescue center in the U.S. After relocating to New Orleans from California in 2012, Villalobos is at maximum capacity with more than 400 dogs. Tia must now open satellite locations amid the bayous of Assumption Parish. Now more than ever, she must rely on her children, their significant others and the parolees to follow in her footsteps and keep the ever-expanding rescue running effectively in multiple locations. On Saturday, September 19, at 10 PM (ET/PT), PIT BULLS & PAROLEES returns for a seventh season with a whopping 25 new one-hour episodes. Additionally, the series is set to celebrate its 100th episode milestone this season.

Tia has offered a fresh start to more than 50 parolees and a new lease on life to dogs that were discarded, demonized and abused, often due solely to the reputation of their breed. With a loyal fan base and a thriving social media presence of more than 1.3 million Facebook supporters, Tia continues to be the leading voice of this misunderstood breed for the last two decades. But even with support, Tia wonders if she's fighting a war that can't be won. A spike in dogfighting rings and increasing rescues from rural areas of the state prove to be constant hurdles for the Villalobos crew. But in moments of doubt, Tia and her family bond together stronger than ever to fight the never-ending battle and emotional rollercoaster of running the nation's largest pit bull sanctuary. For Tia, each new day brings happiness or heartbreak - and sometimes, both.

This season, Tia's children - Tania, Mariah, Kanani and Keli'i aka Moe - along with their significant others take on more proactive day-to-day roles at Villalobos. Because satellite locations are spread among blistering Louisiana swamps and the resilient neighborhoods of the Ninth Ward, all hands are on deck to accommodate the constant intake of dogs. In the swamps, the plight of abused and unwanted dogs isn't limited to just pit bulls. Villalobos now has rescued hounds, spaniel mixes, terriers and more. Villalobos favorite Earl contemplates a risky surgery to correct a debilitating prison injury, and parolee Sui embarks on his first rescue. Jackson Galaxy from Animal Planet's MY CAT FROM HELL helps Tia rehome 38 feral cats near a massive sinkhole. Throughout the years, viewers have followed PIT BULLS & PAROLEES favorites from desperate rescues through rehabilitation. Now, some of Tia's long-time residents finally have a chance at finding their forever homes. Tia's mission continues to prove that a second chance is the greatest gift of all.

"Tia Torres selflessly has opened her home and her life to us at Animal Planet and allowed our cameras to document her decades-long work for the past six seasons of PIT BULLS & PAROLEES. In doing so, Tia gives our audience a rare look into her daily challenges as a hero and prominent voice among the pit bull and rescue worlds," says Rick Holzman, general manager and executive vice president of Animal Planet. "Much like our viewers, I'm continually blown away by the magnanimous acts of Tia, her family and the parolees. They constantly reinforce the fact that everyone deserves a second chance."

PIT BULLS & PAROLEES is produced for Animal Planet by 44 Blue Productions and Rive Gauche Television. Rasha Drachkovitch, Billy Cooper and Dave Luce are the executive producers 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.

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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.