Animal Planet and Cox Communications Bring Free, Fun Event, ANIMAL PLANET EXPO, to Baton Rouge-Area Residents on June 9 and 10 at BREC State Fairgrounds

BATON ROUGE, La., May 29  /PRNewswire/ -- For the past 10 years, ANIMAL PLANET EXPO has entertained, educated and energized over one million animal lovers of all ages nationwide.  And it's only getting bigger and better!  With new attractions and pet welfare at the forefront, ANIMAL PLANET EXPO rolls into Baton Rouge on June 9 and 10 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the BREC State Fairgrounds, 17200 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Animal Planet and Cox Cable, plus national sponsor The makers of Fresh Step(R) litter invite Baton Rouge-area residents to bring their families -- and even their "fur" children -- to the event to celebrate the wonder of wildlife, the companionship of pets and the important role animals play on this planet.
Year after year, ANIMAL PLANET EXPO captivates and delights visitors, featuring a feast for the eyes, ears and tails with high-flying Frisbee dog shows, interactive trivia games, and awe-inspiring live animal presentations. This year, ANIMAL PLANET EXPO truly goes BIG with a brand-new 16'x19' LCD video screen at the new and impressive R.O.A.R. Stage (Reach Out. Act. Respond), tuning all event attendees in to the happenings at every corner of EXPO.  Frisbee dog show times are 11 AM, 12:30 PM, 2 PM and 3:30 PM, and the R.O.A.R. Stage live animal presentations of the wilder kind, including exotic animals like pythons, alligators, and lemurs, will take place at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1 PM and 2:30 PM.
An all new component of ANIMAL PLANET EXPO this year is R.O.A.R., Animal Planet's nonprofit animal advocacy partnership with leading animal organizations that encourages people to Reach Out, Act, and Respond in helping to make the world a better place for animals.  This summer, R.O.A.R. invites ANIMAL PLANET EXPO attendees to take that first step in becoming a voice for animals by making a R.O.A.R. Promise on-site.  Promises can be as simple as taking the family pet for a daily walk, spreading the word about conservation, or supporting a favorite wildlife foundation.
Returning with ANIMAL PLANET EXPO is the action-packed Discovery Kids' Endurance Experience, a hands-on adventure that lets kids experience the mental and physical competition of Discovery Kids Channel's wildly popular series ENDURANCE: HIGH SIERRAS.  In Discovery Kids' Endurance Experience, kids can compete in a number of activities that simulate the grueling physical challenges and tests of wit as seen on ENDURANCE, including a timed "hanging" challenge and a gargantuan climbing wall.
Visitors to ANIMAL PLANET EXPO also have the opportunity to experience firsthand the clarity of high-definition programming in the Discovery HD Theater Dome.  Visitors will be treated to breathtaking programming from Discovery HD Theater, such as PLANET EARTH and DISCOVERY ATLAS HD.  While taking in the visual feast, guests can fill out forms to enter for a chance to win an HD television set.
This year, the makers of Fresh Step(R) litter are sponsoring the hugely popular Pet Den.  The makers of Fresh Step(R) litter and Capital Area Animal Welfare Society will provide pet adoption opportunities and helpful information on how to find the perfect pet for your family.  From 10 AM to noon both Saturday and Sunday, the makers of Fresh Step(R) litter will also host the "Ask the Vet" session, where pet owners can meet one-on-one with local veterinarian Dr. Dan Mooney to ask pet-related questions.  As part of ANIMAL PLANET EXPO, the makers of Fresh Step(R) litter and the ASPCA(R) (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) will make a $5,000 donation to Capital Area Animal Welfare Society.
Other activity pavilions to go wild for at ANIMAL PLANET EXPO include the following:
  -- Animal House -- Get to know even more live animals, while animal     experts introduce exotic species from around the world.  -- Safari Snaps -- Download the ultimate digital photo of you with a     virtual version of Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin and Terri and Bindi     Irwin.  -- Bug House -- Find out what all the buzz is about.  Discover the world     of bugs and butterflies, and check out the new incredible farm of     burrowing ants.  -- Kids' Zone -- Kids can get their faces painted, try the "Happy Gator"     obstacle course, test their legs on the new 18' Spider Mountain     climbing tower and play other fun games.  -- Heroes of Animal Planet -- Protect your pet just as the stars of ANIMAL     PRECINCT do by creating your own personalized pet tag.  -- Connection Zone -- Kids play a panda-themed game for a prize, while     adults view demonstrations and take advantage of special offers on the     latest products from Cox Cable.  -- Pet Misters and Watering Holes -- Let your pets "chill out" and quench     their thirst on a hot day.
Cox Cable will also be on-site to provide valuable information about their most innovative new products available to consumers.
Baton Rouge and Acadiana-area viewers can find Animal Planet on Cox Channel 52, Discovery Kids on Cox Channel 100 and Discovery HD Theater on Cox Channel 746.  Go to  http://www.animalplanet.com/  and click on Animal Planet Events to find more information on ANIMAL PLANET EXPO. About Cox Cable
Cox Communications is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with more than 6 million total residential and commercial customers. Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high- speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox's regional operations in Acadiana and Baton Rouge employ over 1,100 people with an annual payroll of over $43 million. In this region, Cox serves over 307,000 customers with voice, video and data products in the 13 parishes of Acadia, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Lafayette, Livingston, St. James, St. Martin, St. Mary, Vermilion and West Baton Rouge. Information about the products and services offered in the combined Louisiana markets can be found at  http://www.cox.com/batonrouge  or  http://www.cox.com/acadiana  . About Fresh Step(R) litter
Fresh Step(R) litter is a part of The Clorox Pet Products Company, a subsidiary of The Clorox Company, headquartered in Oakland, Calif.  Clorox is a leading manufacturer and marketer of consumer products with fiscal year 2006 revenues of $4.6 billion. With 7,600 employees worldwide, the company manufactures products in two dozen countries and markets them in more than 100 countries. For more information about Clorox, visit  http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/  . For more information about Fresh Step(R) litter, visit freshstep.com. About Animal Planet Media Enterprises
Animal Planet Media Enterprises (APME), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications Inc, connects humans and animals with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for entertainment, information and enrichment.  APME consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in over 90 million homes in the US; online assets  http://www.animalplanet.com/  , the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; PetsIncredible, a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes web service PetVideo.com; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.  Animal Planet
CONTACT:  Susan Berube of Animal Planet Expo, +1-240-662-2928, or Ann Ruble of Cox Communications, +1-225-892-7777 Web site: http://www.cox.com/batonrouge http://www.cox.com/acadiana http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/ http://www.animalplanet.com/