Sportsman Channel’s “Saving Private K-9” Offers Back-to-Back Episodes, Season Finale Airs Thursday, June 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW BERLIN, WI (June 8, 2015) – Sportsman Channel’s Saving Private K-9 reports for duty in the season finale with a special two-episode event. Explosions, bravery, camaraderie and strength outline the intense episodes featuring two K-9 heroes and their handlers, whose mission is to protect and serve. Tune in to the award-winning original series Saving Private K-9 on Thursday, June 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

When the Taliban began to retreat from Sangin, one of the most dangerous cities in Afghanistan, they left behind hidden explosives, in hopes of stinting U.S. troop numbers. Marine Cpl. Jose Armenta and his K-9 partner Zenit are called to ensure the safety of their fellow soldiers while setting up a patrol base in the area. The brave team discovers and eliminates multiple IEDs on their mission. But danger continues to lurk in all corners of the city, making the discovery of every threat nearly impossible – a fact the team would soon learn when Cpl. Armenta steps on an IED.

“I take one step, and my ears just ring and everything goes slowly,” recalls Cpl. Armenta. “My body is stiff as a board and I feel like I’m on fire. At that moment I knew instantly I had stepped on an IED.”

The danger and bravery continues in Episode Two when a routine traffic stop turns into a high-speed pursuit, as a suspected car thief evades law enforcement. Officer Randy Van Dusen releases K-9 Bodie, a patrol and narcotics detection dog, to engage the suspect. Unbeknownst to the officers, the suspect is carrying a stolen gun. Moments later, Bodie finds himself in the most dangerous fight of his life – a fight that would showcase just how strong the bond between a K-9 and handler can be.

“The bond between a handler and his K-9 partner is one that’s difficult to explain. We are with these dogs 24/7. They are our partner at work, our friend at home and they love us no matter what,” said Officer Van Dusen. “They are with us in very stressful situations. We are always together as a team. He is part of the family, and you never leave family behind.”

About Pilgrim Studios: Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Studios produces a wide variety of unscripted and scripted programming for television, including hit series Fast N’ Loud, Misfit Garage and Street Outlaws for Discovery; Ghost Hunters for Syfy; The Ultimate Fighter for FOX Sports 1; Down East Dickering for History; Swamp Pawn for CMT; Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s and Raising Whitley for OWN; David Tutera’s CELEBrations for WEtv; Wicked Tuna and Wicked Tuna: North vs. South for National Geographic Channel; Amazing America with Sarah Palin and Saving Private K-9 for Sportsman Channel; Bring It! for Lifetime; Somebody’s Gotta Do It with Mike Rowe for CNN; and the recently launched My Big Fat Fabulous Life for TLC. The company also produced the breakout movie Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives for Discovery’s 2013 Shark Week, as well as the movie Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine and the special Megalodon: The New Evidence for the channel’s Shark Week 2014. In the scripted realm, Pilgrim has produced the pilot Recovery Road ABC Family, recently picked up for a full season. The company’s original movies for Lifetime include Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy; Abducted: The Carlina White Story, which earned a 2012 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing In A Motion Picture; and the crime thriller Stalkers.

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel/Sportsman HD is a television and digital media company fully devoted to honoring a lifestyle that is celebrated by millions of Americans. A division of Outdoor Sportsman Group, Sportsman Channel delivers entertaining and informative programming that showcases outdoor adventure, hunting and fishing, and illustrates it through unique and authentic storytelling. Sportsman Channel embraces the attitude of “Red, Wild & Blue America” – where the American Spirit and Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Sportsman Channel reaches more than 36 million U.S. television households. Stay connected to Sportsman Channel online at thesportsmanchannel.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Shannon Kolpin, Sportsman Channel, P: 262.432.9100 ex 102, skolpin@thesportsmanchannel.com