Arizona Humane Society (AHS) started the new year with a milestone achievement. Its cherished television show, Pets on Parade, has graced screens across the Valley for 65 years.
Pets on Parade is a 30-minute segment that airs every Saturday on 3TV’s AZ Family. The focus has always been on Arizona pets searching for a forever home. The show features a parade of dogs, cats, and other furry critters and showcases their journeys: healing from sickness, injury, abuse, finding a safe home, and creating lasting bonds with new owners and caretakers, all while providing valuable tips and special guest appearances for viewers.
“Over the past six-and-a-half decades, there have been awe-inspiring tales of strength and survival showcased,” Host Kelsey Dickerson said. “It’s been an incredible resource for pet owners and lovers across the state.”
Pets on Parade is Arizona’s longest-running local television show, debuting in December 1958, just a year after the foundation of AHS. The project came to fruition primarily because of Marge Wright, an animal advocate who hosted the show for over 40 years.
Marge started volunteering in AHS’s thrift stores one year after the shelter opened in 1957. She provided care and enrichment for dogs, cats, and critters, assisted with adoptions, and taught the Humane Education program to young students. She inspired the community to show compassion and properly care for their pets and remained part of the organization until her death in 2014.
Pets on Parade draws an audience of nearly 20,000 viewers each weekend. The show’s impact is undeniable, with around 35,000 animals having found homes.
“This is an incredibly unique extension of what AHS works to do every day,” Dickerson said. “Save the Valley’s most vulnerable pets while providing resources to pet owners in need.”
AHS’s contribution to pets across the state isn’t confined to their work on television. The organization cares for approximately 22,000 sick, injured, and abused pets each year.
Pets on Parade has also profoundly impacted the Valley’s pet owners and animal lovers. Many adopters have benefited from the tips the show provides to take care of the pets they already own.
“The show brings joy and hope into the homes of those who watch, whether you’ve seen one episode or tuned in for decades,” Dickerson said. “It inspires generations of animal lovers to get involved by adopting, donating, or volunteering and become animal advocates in any way they can.”
By sharing these unique stories of triumph, AHS hopes to continue to inspire more pet lovers in the community to keep helping pets.
azhumane.org