July 9, 2009
Animal Planet Films Segment in Pigeon Forge at Comedy Barn
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- The Animal Planet cable show was at The Comedy Barn Theater® in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., recently filming a special segment for “Dogs 101” which will be broadcast internationally sometime this fall. The show will feature Miss Ellie, a 15-year old Chinese Crested hairless dog, who is one of The Comedy Barn Theater® Canine Stars.
Comedy Barn co-owner David Fee said, “We are extremely pleased and honored that Animal Planet came and filmed Miss Ellie and the Comedy Barn dogs. They will now be seen by billions of people numerous times world-wide.”
Miss Ellie caught the attention of Animal Planet producers when she was recently named the first place winner of the pedigree class division in the annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Northern California. A dog from Gatlinburg, Tenn., Miss Ellie competed with 14 other dogs for the title of World's Ugliest Dog. Miss Ellie lives up to her breed name as a skinny little dog with hardly any hair, warts, pimples, and a tongue that hangs out constantly because she does not have any front teeth. She gazes blankly at all who gaze at her since she is blind from cataracts.
Miss Ellie was judged on first impression, physical appearance, personality and audience reaction. Although she did not win the overall contest, Miss Ellie was present to win her division and she won the online voting component by 3,201 votes. A total of 10,996 votes were cast.
David Fee and Jim Hedrick, owners of The Comedy Barn® donated $5,000 to the local Sevier County Humane Society to honor Miss Ellie, a rescue dog, for winning the online ugliest dog contest. The Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma has become a world-famous showcase for ugly dogs. To see the web site go to www.sonoma-marinfair.org/uglydogcontest.shtml.
The dog's owner, Dawn Goehring, is a performer at The Comedy Barn®. Goehring said, “I think ugly is in the eye of the beholder. Miss Ellie is not ugly to me -- she is unique. A lot of people feel bad about me entering her in an ugly dog contest, but it is actually about not judging a book by it cover,” Goehring said. “Although she may not look special, she is.” Goehring an animal trainer for 19 years, adopted Miss Ellie eight years ago.
Miss Ellie does the best with the looks she has by following her own beauty secrets. She gets her beauty rest of 18 hours-a-day and she gets lotion every night. When people first meet Miss Ellie, Goehring says they usually ask if she is sick because she is hairless and so ugly. “People are afraid to pet her because they are not sure what she will feel like,” she said.
Goehring explains that Miss Ellie also has a split personality. “Most of the time she likes to sleep and sunbath and snuggle. However, when she is outside and two of my other female dogs are running around outside, she races them in circles and gums her ankles.”
Goehring said that when she and her husband got Miss Ellie they were told that she would not be a show dog, but would be a lap dog. They took her home to try to find her a home and ended up falling in love with her. Miss Ellie's favorite thing to do is sleep!,” Goehring says. “She spends her days lounging around the house, finding the sunniest spot. This of course means we need to move the bed as the sun moves. She is spoiled rotten. Miss Ellie spends her evenings at The Comedy Barn® where she is the queen bee.”
Goehring's Comedy Barn® Canines perform in over 500 shows each year as well as traveling to local school shows and nursing homes for pet therapy. The 850-seat Comedy Barn Theater® is the only theater in Pigeon Forge devoted exclusively to comedy, antics and animated stunts. Open year 'round, The Comedy Barn® has two shows nightly in season at 5:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., as well as some scheduled matinees for groups throughout the season. Tickets are $24.95, plus tax, and children 11 and younger are admitted free with each paying adult. For tickets, call 1-800-29 LAUGH. For more information, visit www.comedybarn.com. You can find The Comedy Canines online at www.comedycanines.com.
Animal Planet is an American Satellite and cable television channel distributed by Discovery Communications. The channel's broadcasts are mainly documentaries about animals.
#
CONTACT: Deborah Fee Newsom, (865) 414-6887 or (865) 774-8877