MNN - Mother Nature Network

For “The Grammy Awards,” which air Feb. 10 on CBS, quite a bit is done to reduce waste and energy use, according to producer Ken Ehrlich. “All of our scripts and meeting memos are sent electronically. We reduced paper use by 30-40 percent because of that. In the past five or ten years, everything has become so computerized, even our lighting. We have solar trucks, and our lighting designer Bob Dickinson is very conscious about bringing [energy] usage down.”

 

Nat Geo Wild’s new series “Alpha Dogs,” which follows the training and placement of military and law enforcement canines, premieres Feb. 8 with two back-to-back episodes. “One of the most amazing things about the show is watching these dogs do what they do, episode by episode,” says executive producer Jack Osbourne. “They're able to track cell phones in prisons. They're able to track from 200 meters away. It’s amazing to see.”

 

Zachary Quinto’s (“Star Trek,” “Heroes”) efforts to adopt a shelter dog play out amusingly in the short film “Dog Eat Dog,” now playing online at Petsami.com. Quinto, who has a rescue dog named Noah, says it’s “an exaggerated account” of how he found and adopted his pet. Check it out here:

 

 

 

Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) recently adopted a black Lab she named Ashley and brought in the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, to train her. She may need a few more lessons. Shepherd told Jay Leno on “Tonight” that the pooch “keeps pooping in my son’s room.”

 

If you’ve seen NBC’s “Chicago Fire” lately you may have noticed a new a cast member at the firehouse: a rescue puppy named Pouch. “All firehouses have a million stories to tell about a firehouse dog, and we thought she would make a great addition,” says executive producer Derek Haas. “Pouch will literally grow up before our eyes. Plus, pets are great stress relievers, and firefighters and rescue squads are under tremendous pressure every day, so they will appreciate her presence as a working dog.” Not the stereotypical Dalmatian, Pouch “is not immune to making a puddle on the floor but she has a great personality,” Haas reports. “She just doesn’t know how to hit her mark yet.”