Beth Stern and James Denton Return to Host the 9th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards(R)

Trevor Donovan, Danielle Fishel, Kellie Martin, Debbie Matenopoulos, Cameron Mathison, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Brandon McMillan, Barbara Niven, Roselyn Sanchez, Eric Winter, and Larissa Wohl Announced as Presenters

Sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and Zoetis, yearlong campaign to culminate in red carpet awards gala and two-hour special airing Monday, October 21 on Hallmark Channel

LOS ANGELES, CA, September 18, 2019 - Bestselling author Beth Stern and James Denton ("Good Witch," "Desperate Housewives") will return to host the 9th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards(R), a star-studded annual celebration honoring outstanding working dogs from around the country. The awards gala, sponsored by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation and Zoetis, will also feature Trevor Donovan ("Love, Fall & Order," "SnowComing"), Danielle Fishel ("Girl Meets World"), Kellie Martin ("Hailey Dean Mysteries"), Debbie Matenopoulos ("Home & Family"), Cameron Mathison ("Home & Family"), Wendi McLendon-Covey ("The Goldbergs"), Brandon McMillan ("Lucky Dog"), Barbara Niven ("Christmas in Evergreen," "Chesapeake Shores"), Roselyn Sanchez ("A Taste of Summer," "Grand Hotel"), Eric Winter ("A Taste of Summer," "The Rookie"), and Larissa Wohl ("Home & Family") as presenters. Additional celebrity participants and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 2019 American Humane Hero Dog Awards will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5 at The Beverly Hilton and will be broadcast as a two-hour special nationwide on Monday, Oct. 21 (8 pm ET/7 pm CT) on Hallmark Channel.

The evening will recognize seven canine finalists and reveal which dog will be honored with the coveted 2019 American Hero Dog title. A combination of America's voting, which includes over one million public votes, and a panel of celebrity judges will determine which dog will be named the 2019 American Hero Dog. As previously announced, the category winners competing to be named the 2019 American Hero Dog are:

· 2019 GUIDE/HEARING HERO DOG sponsored by Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food - "Leader Dog Lady" from Hamilton, MI

· 2019 LAW ENFORCEMENT/ARSON HERO DOG sponsored by Zoetis, makers of Simparica(R) (sarolaner) - "Dax" from Libertyville, IL

· 2019 MILITARY HERO DOG sponsored by Zoetis, makers of Apoquel(R) (oclacitinib tablet) - "Sgt. Yeager" from Cary, NC

· 2019 SEARCH AND RESCUE HERO DOG (sponsored by Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food) - "Piglet" from Lancaster, CA

· 2019 SERVICE HERO DOG sponsored by Lulu's Fund - "Alice" from Nicholasville, KY

· 2019 SHELTER HERO DOG sponsored by Hallmark Channel - "Gus" from Houston, TX

· 2019 THERAPY HERO DOG - "Jeanie" from Lake Charles, LA

Over the past nine years, nearly 10 million votes have been cast for more than a thousand dogs seeking the coveted title of American Hero Dog. The program reaches more than 1 billion people each year and draws the support and participation of top celebrity dog lovers from all over the world. Hosts, judges, award presenters, and entertainment acts have included Jay Leno, Billy Crystal, Betty White, Ariel Winter, Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O'Connell, Dean Cain, Katharine McPhee, Alison Sweeney, Whoopi Goldberg, Denise Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Chelsea Handler, Martin Short, Jewel, Wilson Phillips, Carson Kressley, Miranda Lambert, Pauley Perrette, Kristin Chenoweth, Naomi Judd, Eric Stonestreet, Fred Willard, Danica McKellar, Bailee Madison, and many, many more.

For more information about the 2019 American Humane Hero Dog Awards, please visit www.herodogawards.org.

About American Humane

American Humane is the country's first national humane organization, founded in 1877. For more information, please visit www.americanhumane.org.

About Lois Pope, The Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc., and LIFE (Leaders in Furthering Education)

As one of America's leading philanthropists, Lois Pope has positively impacted the lives of individuals at the local, national and international levels. She has established three separate organizations dedicated to helping those in need. These organizations are the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc., Leaders In Furthering Education (LIFE), and the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation. For more than 20 years she has been the driving force behind the Lois Pope LIFE Center at the University of Miami School of Medicine, The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, and a groundbreaking new program with American Humane in Palm Beach County. Lois Pope has recently donated several Lois Pope Rescue Vehicles. Each rescue vehicle is a 50-foot long response unit, complete with a Ford F-350 truck and trailer, which is specifically designed and outfitted to provide an array of animal emergency services and cruelty responses within the region. On Oct. 5, 2014, Mrs. Pope saw the completion of a decades-long dream - the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, which was dedicated by President Obama in Washington DC. It will stand in perpetuity as a reminder to the public and legislators of the courage and sacrifices of the four million-plus living disabled veterans and all those who died before them, as well as the need to be vigilant in assuring their support and understanding the human cost of war. Through her advocacy, October 5 every year will serve as a National Day of Honor for disabled veterans. A mother and a grandmother, Lois has trained for and completed five New York City Marathons.

About Hallmark Channel

Hallmark Channel is Crown Media Family Networks' flagship 24-hour cable television network, distributed nationwide in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to 88 million homes. As the country's leading destination for quality family entertainment, Hallmark Channel delivers on the 100-year legacy of the Hallmark brand. In addition to its signature new, original movies, the network features an ambitious lineup of other new, original content, including scripted primetime series, such as "Good Witch," "When Calls the Heart" and "Chesapeake Shores"; annual specials including "Kitten Bowl" and "Hero Dog Awards"; and a daily, two-hour lifestyle show, "Home & Family." Additionally, Hallmark Channel is the exclusive home to world premiere presentations of the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame franchise. Dedicated to helping viewers celebrate life's special moments, Hallmark Channel also offers annual holiday programming franchises, including "Countdown to Christmas," "Countdown to Valentine's Day," "Summer Nights," "Fall Harvest" and "Winterfest." Rounding out the network's diverse slate are some of television's most beloved comedies and series, including "The Golden Girls" and "Frasier." Hallmark Cards, Inc. owns and operates Crown Media Family Networks. To visit the network website, please visit www.hallmarkchannel.com Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube

About Zoetis

Zoetis is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. Building on more than 65 years of experience in animal health, Zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines, vaccines and diagnostic products, which are complemented by biodevices, genetic tests and a range of services. Zoetis serves veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals with sales of its products in more than 100 countries. In 2018, the company generated annual revenue of $5.8 billion with approximately 10,000 employees. For more information, visit www.zoetis.com.

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food

Chicken Soup for the Soul has been providing super-premium pet food for over 15 years. The company makes dry and wet dog and cat food as well as treats that are available at independent pet specialty stores nationwide and select products are available online. The company's mission is to help all pets eat well through its affordable pricing and its work with shelters and pets in need. A portion of all proceeds from the sale of Chicken Soup for the Soul pet food goes to Chicken Soup for the Soul's Fill-a-Bowl... Feed-a-Soul(TM) program. The program, which was launched in 2016 in association with the American Humane, aims to provide over a million meals annually to shelter pets.

About Lulu's Fund

Lulu's Fund, which is part of the Timothy T. Day Foundation, was founded in 2012. Named after the Day's beloved pug Lulu, Lulu's Fund continues the Foundation's ongoing commitment to supporting organizations in the animal rescue community throughout the United States. Organizations that receive support from Lulu's Fund are primarily those that rescue abused, neglected and abandoned dogs. Their focus is to treat existing medical issues, provide spay and neuter services, place dogs in safe foster homes, and ultimately find forever homes for the animals. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.tdayfoundation.org.