JOE CAMP RETURNS TO LOS ANGELES TO OFFICIALLY ADOPT BENJI CANDIDATE NEXT WEEK
-ABC’s “Primetime Live” Scheduled to Cover the Event as Benji Creator Joe Camp Returns to Los Angeles County’s Carson Shelter to adopt one of three Benji finalists-
Phoenix, AZ – November 11, 2001- Mulberry Square Productions, today announced that ABC’s Primetime Live, will cover Joe Camp’s adoption of a Benji candidate dis covered over a month ago by David Meyer of 1-800-Save-a-Pet.com at Los Angeles County’s Carson animal shelter. Camp’s search for a new Benji in animal shelters across America began in Chicago on August 12, 2001, and has extended from coast to coast. Camp met and evaluated the pup on October 23rd at a PetSmart adoption event in Carson. Until then he had only seen photos. “I instantly fell in love with the dog,” Camp said. That candidate has now been selected as one of the top three contenders for the starring role in the upcoming film, Benji Returns – The Promise of Christmas scheduled for theatrical release in December, 2002.
Camp will fly into Los Angeles next week after visiting Gulfport, Mississippi, and Chicago where he will be adopting the other two finalists. The selected three will enter what Camp’s wife Kathleen jokingly calls Benji Boot Camp, a period of training and evaluation. During this period, the three pups will appear together across the country at adoption events and at shelter fund-raisers. The new Benji is expected to be announced on Primetime Live before Christmas.
Camp is in the process of introducing Benji to an entire new generation of parents and children and this time Benji is returning on a mission as a pup who will stand for something other than just economic bottom line - by making a positive difference in the lives of children and homeless animals.
"The search has generated an enormous amount of positive exposure for the needs of animal shelters everywhere and the wonderful pets that can be found in these shelters," Camp says. "There was never a better dog than the first Benji who was rescued from the Burbank Animal Shelter."
Since the effort began on August 12th, the search for the new Benji and Camp's campaign for pet adoption has reached more than 40,000,000 people, appearing on over 150 network affiliate television stations, radio, and in newspapers, including the top 100 markets in the country. The story has appeared on CNN, AP wire news, Copley News Service, Entertainment Weekly Daily News, E! Entertainment and has been covered by syndicated radio shows such as Radio Disney, Westwood One, Pet Talk America and Animal planet.
It all began when Camp needed a new Benji for a film to be produced in 2002… and when The American Humane Association reported that because the original Benji was rescued from an animal shelter, more than one million dogs have been adopted across the country. Joe Camp wants this to happen again. As Camp says, "To be at least partially responsible for so many animals being saved is one terrific feeling."
Twenty-six additional shelter dogs of all sizes and breeds will also be named to appear in the new movie, one from each of 26 markets. These dogs will become local poster dogs in their hometowns for their shelters’ adoption efforts.
Benji’s Return was marked in September, 2001 by the premier of the Benji Video Library
in retail outlets nationwide. The entire library - nineteen Benji titles in all - has been digitally mastered in stereo and surround sound and is available in VHS and DVD. The new book series, Benji Promise Books, will be published in 2002 for kids 3 to 8 years old, followed by the introduction of the Benji Wish Books for maturing readers aged 7 -12.
More than 71,000,000 people have watched Benji movies in theaters, over half of them adults. All Benji movies grossed within the top 10% of box office grosses for their year of release, and more than one billion people have watc hed Benji movies and programs on television. Two of Benji's primetime specials have been nominated for Emmys.
