TURFMUTT TO APPEAR ON LUCKY DOG TV SHOW

Graphic courtesy of OPEI’s Research and Educa- tion Foundation.

On November 16, 2015, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced that the rescue dog named Lucky and his owner, Kris Kiser, will ap-

pear this season on the Emmy Award- winning “Lucky Dog” show that airs Saturday mornings on CBS as a part of the ‘CBS Dream Team, It’s Epic’ block of programming.

The first episode, featuring a dog named Kyrie, aired on November 7. Additional episodes are scheduled to run in 2016 on the following dates: January 23 (featuring Darby), February 13 (featuring Maggie), March 12 (fea- turing Odie), April 9 (featuring Scar-

lett), and May 7 (featuring Dottie). In the May 7 episode, an older shelter dog named Dottie will be adopted by Kiser and will join him and Lucky at home in Virginia. All dates are tentative and subject to change. An additional “best of” episode featuring TurfMutt and Kiser will air at a later date.

The CBS show, “Lucky Dog,” follows animal trainer Brandon McMillan, who rescues hard-to-love, out-of-con- trol, untrained and unadoptable dogs. McMillan turns these pooches into perfect pets. In the end, a lucky family will adopt an even luckier dog, making each episode an adoption story that warms the heart.

Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI, and his adopted dog Lucky, the “Turf- Mutt,” are on a mission to educate viewers on ways to create environmen-

tally–responsible living landscapes that families and pets can enjoy. Lucky the “TurfMutt” is a real live super- hero who serves as the “spokesdog” for the OPEI Education & Research Foundation’s TurfMutt environmental stewardship and educational program by Scholastic, for children in grades K-5. The national program has reached more than 62 million children, educa- tors and families, since 2009, showing them how they can “save the planet, one yard at a time.”

“Lucky and I are very excited to par- ticipate in the “Lucky Dog” television show,” said Kiser. “It’s not just about having a lawn for your dog and your kids at all costs. It’s about having the right kind of yard, including a lawn, for the environment you are living in today.”

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TPI TURF NEWS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016