NEW YORK – September 5, 2014 – All next week, NBC’s TODAY is celebrating man’s best friend (and feline) in a special series. Beginning Monday, September 8, “For the Love of Pets,” will focus on all things furry, sharing stories of ordinary pets that have done extraordinary things. During the week, special appearances will be made by: Jasper Vieira (Meredith Vieira’s dog), Pepper Roker (Al Roker’s dog) and Zara Morales (Natalie Morales’ dog).

“For the Love of Pets” will cover the many aspects of pet caregiving including training and housebreaking and combatting animal obesity.  TODAY will also share the courageous stories of “Hero Dogs” from the American Humane Association Hero Dog Awards, and viewers will have the opportunity to vote on this year’s Hero Dog finalists. Additionally, TODAY will feature kittens from the North Shore Animal League that are up for adoption. Special guests include: Jackson Galaxy, host of Animal Planet’s ‘My Cat From Hell’; Gina DiNardo, American Kennel Club; Laurie Santos, cognition psychologist at the Yale Canine Cognition Center; K9 Fit Club, leader in human/canine fitness; and one extraordinary dog with a Guinness World Record title.

TODAY invites viewers to join the conversation on social media using #TODAYPets. For more information on “For the Love of Pets” visit TODAY.com.

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NBC’s TODAY is the news program that informs, entertains, inspires and sets the agenda each morning for Americans. Airing live from 7 am to 11 am ET, TODAY reaches more than 5 million people every day through its broadcast, and millions more through TODAY.com, the TODAY app, and social media platforms. Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Natalie Morales, Willie Geist, Tamron Hall, Carson Daly, Hoda Kotb, and Kathie Lee Gifford are the anchors and hosts, and Don Nash is the executive producer.