The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

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November 26, 2009

Local dog to appear on Animal Planet

BY MARY WICOFF

DANVILLE — Fletcher’s big day has finally arrived.

The 15-month-old dog, owned by the Shawn Mallady family, will get a few minutes of national fame this weekend.

He is one of several dogs featured on the Animal Planet’s Dogs 101 program. The show, which will be about designer dogs, will air at 8 p.m. Saturday on the Animal Planet.

A designer dog is a cross between two purebred dogs. Fletcher is a Labradoodle, a cross between a poodle and a Labrador retriever.

Saturday’s episode will feature six designer breeds, including: cavachon (Cavalier King Charles spaniel and bichon frise), chorkie (Yorkshire terrier and Chihuahua), goldendoodle (golden retriever and poodle), puggle (pug and beagle), chiweenie (Chihuahua and dachshund) and the Labradoodle.

So, Fletcher and the Mallady family will be onscreen for just a few minutes.

Still, the Mallady children are excited about the upcoming program, Shawn Mallady said. The family — including wife, Mindy, and their three boys — will watch it Saturday night.

As for Fletcher, he’s nervous about appearing on TV, Mallady joked. But, he added, “It hasn’t gone to his head, yet.”

In late May, a crew with Powderhouse Productions in Somerville, Mass., spent a day in Danville filming the dog and the family.

Despite about 10 hours of filming, field producer Portland Helmich said the Mallady section probably will be edited down to 3 minutes or so.

The three boys — Jackson, Kevin and Carter — were taken out of school for the day and their parents stayed home from their jobs at Chittick Family Eye Care, where Shawn is co-owner.

The crew filmed Fletcher on his daily walk at the Danville Country Club, at an American Legion Little League game and playing in the water with the boys.

The crew also interviewed Carter about his allergies, and how a designer dog such as a Labradoodle, which sheds little, doesn’t aggravate his health problems.

Since the interview, Fletcher has been continuing his education — just in case his brush with stardom doesn’t work out. He’s earned his Good Citizenship certificate and will begin work toward his therapy dog certificate in January.

ON THE WEB

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/dogs-101/

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