Good news for Pit Boss fans: The hit reality series about the only pit bull rescue service-slash-talent agency for little people in Los Angeles is going to be going into production on a new season. Here at The Pet Network, we’re big fans of Shorty Rossi and his crew. We air Pit Boss every Wednesday at 8 pm ET / 9 pm PT, and on Sundays at 10 pm  ET / 11 pm PT. Here’s a sneak preview of what’s coming up on the show in the New Year:
 
Check out Shorty’s site here.

Jan. 5 – “The Smackdown!”
When a parolee from Utah must choose between saving his family pit bull and going back to jail, Shorty intervenes. The Shortywood team partners with professional MMA fighters to promote an anti-dogfight campaign. Meanwhile, Ronald goes on a date.

Jan. 12 – “The Seventh Dwarf”
Shorty and his staff help to save a pit bull and a Dalmation found abandoned and tied to a post in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, a Shortywood gig is in jeopardy when the team comes up one dwarf short for a Snow White photo shoot.

Jan. 19 – “Back Behind Bars”
Shorty reflects on his time behind bars when he returns to the California Youth Authority, a juvenile reform facility where he once did time, to mentor young offenders involved in a dog training program.

Jan. 26 – “Great Balls of Fire”
Shorty and the team get a surprise while searching for a stray pit bull in an RV yard. Ashley meets with a booking agent about her aspirations for a standup comedy career. Sebastian demonstrates a previously hidden talent at a luau.

Feb. 2 – “The Great Escape”
Shorty surprises his crew with an impromptu R&R trip to Mexico. But the team must pull together like never before when crisis strikes during their getaway.

** SEASON FINALE **
Feb. 9 – “So Long Shorty”
In the second season finale, Shorty is hurt during a dangerous dog rescue, and his sister rushes to his bedside. Sebastian deals with his relationship issues. And Ronald’s priorities are put to the test again, leading to a final showdown with Shorty.

 Canada’s The Pet Network presents the documentary CAT PEOPLE on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 9 pm ET / 10 pm PT.

“There’s nothing more important than this.” – Cat show competitor Chris Fog.

Is there room in your life for 30 or 40 cats? Would you be willing to drive hundreds of miles every weekend, and spend thousands of dollars, to be part of the competitive cat show circuit? Does shampooing and blow-drying your prize Persian sound like a fulfilling activity?

If you answered yes to these questions, then congratulations: you’ve qualified for lifetime membership in the North American fraternity of cat people.

This most unusual community is the subject of the hour-long documentary Cat People, which goes behind the scenes at the Santa Monica Cat Club show in California, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the United States.

More than 600 high-maintenance purebreds (and their high-maintenance owners) are on display at this annual competition – all hoping to claw their way to Best in Show.

Cat People offers a revealing look into the lives of men and women whose affection for their feline friends has turned into an all-consuming obsession — from Sibyl, a thwarted actress who keeps her limelight dreams alive by showing Siamese cats, to the unnervingly competitive Chris, who, along with his mother, has invested close to a million dollars into this pastime over the last two decades.

“This is not a hobby for me,” Chris says. “It’s what makes me tick. It’s what makes me breathe.”

As the Best in Show judging looms, a controversial ruling raises hackles, bitter rivalries surface, and nerves are strained to the breaking point. “It’s like having your child up there,” observes one anxious owner. Cat people: they’re definitely a breed apart.

Cat People repeats on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 9 pm ET / 10 pm PT.

For more on the world of pedigreed cats and cat shows, visit The Cat Fanciers’ Assocation (CFA) online.

A new Harris/Decima survey shows that slightly more than half of all Canadians who own pets find them more reliable than people. Approximately one-third have confided personal secrets to their pets. Read more here.