YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    YouTube Launches Channel for Pet Lovers

    By Laura Moss, Mother Nature Network

    The Pet CollectiveThe Pet Collective

    The Pet Collective, a new YouTube channel dedicated to furry, feathered and scaly pets of all types, has officially launched. The channel, which was started by FremantleMedia, offers an array of original content that ranges from informative Q&As with veterinarians to comedic scripted shows about pet owners and their animals' exploits.

    "People in the U.S. really elevate pets to members of the family," says Michelle Davis, supervising producer at The Pet Collective. "This is a collective place for all pet lovers, and the channel offers something for everyone."

    But above all, Davis says the channel aims to benefit animals, which is especially evident in the series "The Unadoptables." These videos highlight pets that are difficult for shelters to adopt out, including animals with special needs, bonded pairs, black cats and pets that are older or considered unattractive.

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    Overpopulation in animal shelters is a huge problem in Los Angeles, where The Pet Collective is based and Davis hopes that featuring these cats, dogs, horses and other animals, will help them find their forever homes.

    "It's truly for the unadoptable pets. We want to show that they have value and euthanization isn't the answer," Davis says.

    The series has helped pets like Pepe, a partially paralyzed pug whose spine was crushed in an accident, find loving homes.

    "He needed care and rehabilitation, and he found that. Now he's cruising around in his wheelchair with no problem," Davis says.

    Related: The 8 happiest dogs on YouTube

    Pepe will soon be featured in one of The Pet Collective's "My Forever Home" videos, a series in which pet owners share stories about how their shelter pets changed their lives.

    In addition to adoption videos, the channel also offers the following original series:

    • "The Litter," an 8-week series narrated by Khloe Kardashian that follows a litter of kittens

    • "Pet Sense," videos featuring animal communicator Michelle Childerly

    • "Master & Pet," a scripted comedy series about a single woman and her cat

    • "Growing Up Wild," in which Bindi and Robert Irwin educate viewers about their wild "pets" at an Australian zoo.

    But if you just want to see some adorable animal videos that will bring a smile to your face, Davis recommends the "Dogs at Play" videos.

    "People call it 'pet porn'," she says. "It's just beautifully shot footage of animals being themselves."

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