Sportsman Channel’s “Saving Private K-9” Offers Tense Moments of Real Life Warfare – Thursday, April 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

NEW BERLIN, WI (April 27, 2015) – Much like human soldiers, military working dogs rarely flinch in the face of grave danger. K-9 heroes like Digo, a bomb-sniffing dog, and his handler, Chief Petty Officer Benito Olson, take that bravery to the next level. Lt. Col. Oliver North, host of Sportsman Channel’s Saving Private K-9, shares the harrowing story of the team’s deployment to Iraq and their mission to locate the enemy in a bomb-laden city. Intel led them to what appeared to be an empty building, but what transpired next could – potentially – bring an end to both of their careers.

Tune in to the award-winning original series Saving Private K-9 on Thursday, April 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

Digo and Olson set out on a mission to find one of al Qaeda’s top money handlers in Iraq. The location, known to be littered with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), meant the team would have to remain highly-attuned to their surroundings. Olson received information confirming the enemy’s presence in a nearby building, and it was clear Digo needed to assess the situation. But before Digo could enter the building, standard procedure had to be followed and a grenade was launched to clear the area of any threats. Digo and Benito soon discovered they were in for more than they had bargained for.

“If Digo could talk to the public, he would say he’s just doing what he loves to do. And he’s taught me so many things – not just about training dogs,” said Benito. “There is no price to put on working with these dogs. There are hard times and there are good times. It’s a lot of work to put in, but it’s really rewarding at the end.”

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