John O'Hurley's New Book, The Perfect Dog, Going to 170 U.S. Ronald McDonald Houses in Holiday Donation by Purina & Penguin Books

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National Dog Show Presented by Purina

Nov 25, 2013, 12:13 ET

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- John O'Hurley's newly-released children's book, The Perfect Dog (Grosset & Dunlap; October 31, 2013; Ages 3 and up), is being distributed to all Ronald McDonald Houses in the United States this holiday season in a joint, charitable initiative of Nestle Purina PetCare^®, Penguin Young Readers Group and The National Dog Show Presented by Purina^®.

Released Oct. 31 and selected for the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club^®, the Seuss-like offering was inspired by time O'Hurley spent with his son, Will, amidst the 1,500 dogs in the benching area at The National Dog Show hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia last year. The book reached #2 on Amazon.com's Hot New Releases in the Children's Humorous Poetry category after only two weeks on the market.

Purina is donating 850 copies of the book to the 170 Ronald McDonald Houses in the United States and the publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group, is shipping all of the books just in time for Thanksgiving and the holiday season.

Purina is making this donation as part of its "Better With Pets" effort that highlights the strong bond between people and pets. The "Better With Pets" theme will be carried out throughout The National Dog Show Presented by Purina^® broadcast through interviews and video content that demonstrate Purina's belief that pets and people are better together. The two-hour NBC special airs Thanksgiving Day from noon-2 p.m. in all time zones.

O'Hurley is the host of the broadcast, which attracts a total audience of some 20 million viewers each year following the Macy's Parade. Penguin Books has published and distributed two previous books, also dog-themed, written by the actor/TV personality best know for his comic portrayal of "J. Peterman," the catalogue king and Elaine's boss in the iconic TV series Seinfeld. The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House (PRMH) is the charity beneficiary of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and O'Hurley hosted the inaugural "Spotlight Therapy Dogs" fundraiser at PRMH on Friday, Nov. 15.

The charming story of The Perfect Dog is based on a poem John wrote after his experience with his son at last year's dog show, posing the age-old question of whose is the best dog in the neighborhood. The answer, accompanied by an array of full-page photographs, makes for a heartwarming tale for both dog lovers and non-dog lovers alike. The book also comes with a high-definition audio CD of O'Hurley reading the poem.

O'Hurley has hosted the National Dog Show on NBC every year since its inception in 2002. He is joined by expert analyst David Frei, America's foremost authority on all things canine, for the two-hour broadcast (noon-2 p.m. in all time zones) that has become a holiday family viewing tradition before football takes over the day.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities
Ronald McDonald House Charities^® (RMHC^®), a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and wellbeing of children. Through its global network of local Chapters in 58 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House^®, Ronald McDonald Family Room^® and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile^®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children's programs worldwide, RMHC provides stability and resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. All RMHC-operated and supported programs provide access to quality health care and give children and families the time they need together to heal faster and cope better. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org, follow RMHC on Twitter (@RMHC), or like RMHC on Facebook (Facebook.com/RMHC Global).