Scooby-Doo, Publishers Clearing House And North Shore Animal League America Announce The First Prize Winners Of The 3rd Annual Mutt-i-grees® "America Adopts" PSA Contest

PORT WASHINGTON, N,Y., May 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The results are in! The competition was fierce, but after reviewing PSA entries from across the country, the national First Place Prize winners of the 3^rd Annual Mutt-i-grees® "America Adopts" PSA Contest have been decided. Three Top Winners were selected: Arch Ford Early Education Program in Conway, AR are First Place Prize winners of the Pre-K – K category; Eagle Crest Elementary School in Longmont, CO took First Place Prize for the 1^st – 5^th grade category; and Brookhaven Technical Center in Bellport, NY won the First Place Prize in the 6^th – 12^th grade category. 

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This nationwide initiative aims to raise awareness of the availability and desirability of shelter pets, otherwise known as Mutt-i-grees. Students from across the country submitted creative PSAs encouraging Americans to adopt from their local shelter or rescue group. This year, students incorporated Scooby-Doo into their PSA entries as it was proudly announced to the world last year that "Scooby-Doo is a Mutt-i-gree too!" The First Place Prize winners received a surprise visit to their school by Scooby-Doo, as well as Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol and the Mutt-i-grees Team, to present them with a $2,500 educational grant and 100 Mutt-i-grees t-shirts.

The contest reflects the essence of the Mutt-i-grees Curriculum, a unique approach to teaching children social and emotional skills as well as highlighting the individual characteristics and needs of Mutt-i-grees. The Curriculum was developed by Yale University School of the 21^st Century in collaboration with North Shore Animal League America's Pet Savers Foundation and is funded by the Cesar Millan Foundation.  

The First Place Prize winners from Arch Ford Education Cooperative's Early Education Program are comprised of a group of Pre-K students from the Greenbrier ABC classroom. Teachers Melanie Brindley and Melinda Smith and Early Educational Director Judy Clay assisted the students in producing their video, which presents a unique comparison of the positive qualities exhibited by both the students and the shelter animals. Their message creates a discerning metaphor of how the students and the adoptable pets share similar qualities and activities. They reflect on how adoptable pets are unique, smart, loving, proud and happy, as are the children who adopt them. It beautifully illustrates how these loving animals dream of attaining compassionate homes and families of their own.

Second graders from Eagle Crest Elementary School entered the contest with their teacher, Chelsea Hammond. Their video "Mutt-i-gree Mystery Gang!" addresses the mystery of "why more people don't adopt from shelters." It features photographs of families from their school who have adopted their own Mutt-i-grees. One student narrator explains that by adopting a shelter animal, "these families add new memories"—memories that will last a lifetime and save a life. As one narrator explains, "In school we learn that firefighters and policemen are heroes. We want you to know that people who adopt dogs or cats from a shelter are heroes too." Their case wraps up with the conclusion that "there is no good reason not to adopt from a shelter!" 

At Eastern Suffolk BOCES Brookhaven Technical Center, a collaborative effort between 11^th and 12^th grade students from Lisa Mongiello's Animal Science class and Mark Deedy's TV Production class led to their first place win. Their video "Why Mutt-i-grees?" takes on some of the myths and stereotypes surrounding shelter animals. Its question-and-answer format aims to set the record straight. They help dispel myths that shelter animals are any less desirable than pets that can be bought in a pet store or from a breeder. 

The contest was open to all accredited schools that teach children in Pre-K – 12^th grades. The PSAs were judged by a panel of experts from Animal League America, Publishers Clearing House and Warner Bros. Consumer Products, as well as celebrities Cesar Millan and Renee Felice Smith.  Entries were based on originality, creativity, sincerity and persuasiveness.

The Second Place Prize winners receiving a $1,500 educational grant and 50 Mutt-i-grees t-shirts are The Family Resource Center from East Haven, CT, which won in the Pre-K – K category; Fenton Charter School from Lake View Terrace, CA, which won the 1^st – 5^th grade category; and Dr. Charles E. Brimm Medical Arts High School in Camden, NJ, winners in the 6^th – 12^th grade category. 

Third Place Prize winners receive a $1,000 educational grant and 25 Mutt-i-grees t-shirts. They  include Fenton Primary Center from Lake View Terrace, CA, who took the win in the Pre-K – K category; Vogel-Wetmore School in Torrington, CT, which won in the 1^st – 5^th grade category; and Brien McMahon High School, winners  in the 6^th – 12^th grade category.

To see the winning videos or to learn more about the Mutt-i-grees Curriculum, visit www.education.muttigrees.org.

MUTT-I-GREES "AMERICA ADOPTS" SECOND CHANCE PSA CONTEST

The Mutt-i-grees "America Adopts" Second Chance PSA Contest gives runner-up schools that submitted a public service announcement to this year's contest a second chance at winning. Of the schools still in the running, the top three will be chosen by popular vote beginning June 3 through June 17, 2013.

The video that gets the most votes wins a $1,000 grant for the school of the students who made it.  Second and Third Place Prizes will be $750 and $500, respectively. One lucky voter will win a Pet Product Super Basket donated by Publishers Clearing House. Everyone is encouraged to help their favorite school win.

To vote or to view the complete contest rules, visit http://education.muttigrees.org/2013-second-chance-psa-contest beginning June 3, 2013.

ABOUT THE MUTT-I-GREES CURRICULUM
The Mutt-i-grees Curriculum is an innovative program that builds on the affinity between children and animals, providing a unique context to teach compassion, empathy and social responsibility. Developed by the Yale School of the 21^st Century in collaboration with North Shore Animal League America's Pet Savers Foundation and funded by the Cesar Millan Foundation, the Curriculum highlights the unique characteristics and desirability of shelter dogs, known as Mutt-i-grees. To learn more, visit http://education.muttigrees.org/.

ABOUT NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA
Animal League America has saved more than 1,000,000 lives. As the world's largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization, we understand that a rescue isn't complete until each animal is placed into a loving home. Our innovative programs provide education to reduce animal cruelty and advance standards in animal welfare. Our staff and volunteers work tirelessly in the pursuit of our vision of a world where all companion animals find permanent homes to end euthanasia. For more information, visit www.animalleague.org.

ABOUT THE CESAR MILLAN FOUNDATION
Animal activist and world-renowned dog behaviorist Cesar Millan officially established the Cesar Millan Foundation with the mission to create and deliver community humane education programs and promote animal welfare. Since its inception in 2007, the Cesar Millan Foundation has provided grants and materials to hundreds of non-profit animal organizations to support the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of abused and abandoned dogs; donated emergency assistance through the Daddy's Emergency Animal Rescue (DEAR) Fund, and contributed critical funding and professional insight to develop The Mutt-i-grees Curriculum with The Pet Savers Foundation, in collaboration with the Yale University School of the 21st Century. For more information visit www.millanfoundation.org.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

ABOUT SCOOBY-DOO
Scooby-Doo is one of the few classic properties to maintain top on-air ratings across the globe and is consistently ranked as one of the top properties in the Warner Bros. Consumer Products licensing portfolio. Scooby-Doo is the only dog with human characteristics that can live and play in a kid's real and imaginative world. Scooby loves to solve mysteries, is hip and cool and makes 'spooky' fun; he truly is the dog that can Doo it all!

SCOOBY-DOO and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Hanna-Barbera.
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ABOUT PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE
Publishers Clearing House (PCH), headquartered in Port Washington, NY, is a multi-channel direct marketer of value-based merchandise, magazines and promotional offers and a leading provider of digital "play and win" entertainment. Founded in 1953 by Harold and LuEsther Mertz, PCH has come to be known as the sweepstakes company whose famous Prize Patrol surprises screaming winners on their doorsteps with oversized checks in amounts anywhere from $1,000.00 to $10,000,000.00 while TV cameras are rolling – www.pchtv.com. These memorable, real-life reactions of stunned sweepstakes prize winners have entertained audiences all across America and spawned a number of good-natured skits on such TV shows as Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show. The company has awarded over $239 Million in prizes and has evolved to greatly expand its offerings to include many ways to win online and through social media and mobile access.

Media Contact:
Devera Lynn
North Shore Animal League America
516.474.5332
[email protected]

SOURCE North Shore Animal League America