ANIMAL PLANET'S "PIT BULLS & PAROLEES" CELEBRATES 100th EPISODE MILESTONE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 2

- Network Renews Fan-favorite Series for Eighth Season with 10 New Episodes in Fall 2016 -

- Special After Show Hosted by Fox Sports TV Personality and Pit Bull Advocate Jay Glazer to Air Immediately Following 100th Episode from Villalobos Rescue Center -

(New York) - Tia Torres has been the face of pit bull advocacy for more than 20 years and has elevated the discussion of breed discrimination to the national level ever since PIT BULLS & PAROLEES first premiered on Animal Planet in 2009. Throughout the past seven seasons, viewers have witnessed Tia and her family band together to overcome natural disasters, heartbreaking rescues and a cross-country relocation from Los Angeles to New Orleans with hundreds of dogs while they continue to operate a rescue empire - Villalobos Rescue Center - the largest pit bull rescue center in the U.S. Tia has also offered a fresh start to more than 50 parolees and a new lease on life to hundreds of dogs that were discarded, demonized and abused, often due solely to the reputation of their breed. Now, Animal Planet celebrates the 100th episode milestone of PIT BULLS & PAROLEES on Saturday, January 2, at 10 PM (ET/PT). Immediately following the episode, Fox Sports TV personality and pit bull advocate Jay Glazer will catch up with Tia inside Villalobos Rescue Center for an unfiltered look at life behind the scenes with her kids and the dogs she's fought for and rescued over the past two decades. Additionally, the network announces the renewal of the franchise series, produced by Emmy-nominated 44 Blue Productions, with 10 brand new episodes beginning fall 2016.

With a loyal fan base and a thriving social media presence nearing 1.5 million Facebook fans, PIT BULLS & PAROLEES has inspired a pit bull rescue movement across the country. Beginning at 11 PM (ET/PT), Jay Glazer will host a half-hour special After show event with Tia Torres from Villalobos Rescue Center in New Orleans. During the intimate discussion, Tia will give viewers the no-holds-barred inside scoop about what it's like to run the nation's largest pit bull rescue while she also films the television series at the same time. Throughout the night, fans will have the chance to show off their own pit bulls on air by submitting pictures using #PitBulls100 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.

About PIT BULLS & PAROLEES

Tia Torres is a firm believer in second chances. She has dedicated the past two decades to building 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. New episodes of PIT BULLS & PAROLEES air Saturdays at 10 PM (ET/PT) on Animal Planet.

About Animal Planet

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.