MRB PRODUCTIONS INC
ORLANDO, FLORIDA

BusinessWire BUSINESS WIRE “Hero Dog Awards, the only program of its kind, has become a tradition for Hallmark Channel and is such a special way to celebrate our four-legged heroes and, through their inspirational stories, educate the public about how vital they are to virtually every aspect of our lives, work, and well-being,” says Bill Abbott, CEO and President, Crown Media Family Networks. “As the country’s leading advocate for the welfare of animals, American Humane Association is an ideal partner for this program — and as we work to step up our own pet initiative, ‘Pet Project,’ we are so pleased to have the opportunity to expand our relationship with them as their media partner and build on the incredible work they do.” Presented by the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc. and produced by Emmy® Award-winning MRB Productions, the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards will tape October 5 before a live audience at a black tie, star-studded gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on October 5 and will air as a 2-hour special on Hallmark Channel this fall. Dog lovers are encouraged to visit , who completed 210 combat missions in Iraq and was instrumental in the detection of 26 explosives and weapons finds; hearing dog , a guide dog for the blind, who helped restore the confidence and independence of her human partner, who lost her sight as an adult; The Hero Dog Awards highlights the powerful relationship between dogs and people and helps raise much-needed resources to support the vital work of American Humane Association – the nation’s voice for the protection of children and animals. Generous sponsors of the 2013 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards include the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, Inc., Hallmark Channel, MRB Productions, national online sponsor and therapy dog category sponsor Zoetis, Law enforcement/arson dog category sponsor State Farm, print media sponsor Modern Dog Magazine, category sponsor Paul Mitchell Schools, and Best Producer Sponsor Merial. The “National Spokesdog” for the 2013 American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards is Super Smiley, a two-time shelter dog, animal actor, and animal advocate whose mission is to help all the shelter pets get adopted and to share the message that dogs are healers, teachers and heroes. American Humane Association is the country’s first national humane organization and the only one dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Since 1877, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in protecting our most vulnerable from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Today we’re also leading the way in understanding the human-animal bond and its role in therapy, medicine and society. American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses. You can help make a difference, too. Visit American Humane Association at Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 87 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation’s leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television’s most beloved sitcoms and series, including "A lot of it sucked and a lot of it was some of the worst things to ever deal with and I couldn't help but think, 'Why again? Why me? Why another crappy thing? Why another damn, annoyance that comes up?'" said Yater-Wallace , who remains in the hunt after David Wise secured one of the up to four Olympic spots with a victory in a ski halfpipe qualifier on Friday. "But I wouldn't be the person I am today. I'm just so happy to have all my family in good health and back home." Ronald Wallace ran a business that specialized in collectible wines. Prosecutors said he promised wine futures to his clients but rarely delivered. He was sentenced to five years of probation, two years of home confinement and ordered to pay millions in restitution in February 2007. He ended up serving time in federal prison for various probation violations. He was released in December 2015. "The love never stopped ," Yater-Wallace said. "It was definitely a bummer when you can't be there in person for us when we're going through the hard times." "It was just horrible and a scary thought to know the person that helps me get through life in every single aspect could possibly not be there," Yater-Wallace said. "To see her recover in full and ultimately make it to Russia, it was straight out of a movie." The doctors put him into a medically induced state of paralysis to help him recover. He had tubes running in and out of his body. "Sometimes, you can't help but feel that something around you or something in this world doesn't want you to succeed," Yater-Wallace said. "But dealing with hard times, it motivates you to push through." BusinessWire BUSINESS WIRE “Hero Dog Awards, the only program of its kind, has become a tradition for Hallmark Channel and is such a special way to celebrate our four-legged heroes and, through their inspirational stories, educate the public about how vital they are to virtually every aspect of our lives, work, and well-being,” says Bill Abbott, CEO and President, Crown Media Family Networks. “As the country’s leading advocate for the welfare of animals, American Humane Association is an ideal partner for this program — and as we work to step up our own pet initiative, ‘Pet Project,’ we are so pleased to have the opportunity to expand our relationship with them as their media partner and build on the incredible work they do.”