ROTV Debuts ‘Paws On Board’ Pet Segments
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ROTV Debuts ‘Paws On Board’ Pet Segments
Dr. Marissa Fitzpatrick — aka ‘Dr. Fitz’ — provides viewers with vital information about caring for pets while on the road
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Dr. Marissa Fitzpatrick — aka ‘Dr. Fitz’ — brings a wealth of experience as a small animal veterinarian to Rollin’ On TV as host of the show’s new “Paws On Board” weekly segment.
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f you’ve been to a campground lately, you know that it’s rare to visit one that doesn’t have its share of four-legged guests. Indeed, in its 2021 North American Camping Report, Kampgrounds Of America (KOA) states that parks that allow pets and have pet accommodations were among the top considerations when staying at a campground — only “safety and security” ranked higher.

Simply stated, RVers love to travel with their pets. Cognizant of this, RV manufacturers are crafting RVs with pet-friendly features, including built-in bottom drawers holding pet food and water bowls, and parks are keying on pet-friendly features to attract visitors. In fact, KOA now has certain campgrounds designated as KampK9 pet parks, where travelers will find open fenced areas for pet exercise, cleanup stations and fresh water.

However, traveling with pets — particularly cats and dogs — is not without its drawbacks. While they don’t suffer from “separation anxiety” when their owners leave on vacation, you have removed them from their safe environs. New “digs” take a while for animals to adapt to. Beyond that, pets can get car sick, bored and find things at parks that they shouldn’t, from bad food to nasty critters.

Rollin’ On TV (ROTV), the nation’s premier weekly RV program, recently kicked off a new weekly segment to its show designed to help travelers keep their pets healthy. The new series, Paws On Board, is hosted by Dr. Marissa Fitzpatrick — aka ‘Dr. Fitz’— a small-animal veterinarian in mid-Michigan who earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University. In 2020, she started FitzVet, a company dedicated to companion animal health and general care. Paws On Board launched in June at the start of Rollin’ On TV’s newest season and, by all accounts, has been met with a great deal of enthusiasm by pet owners.

Paws on Board illustration
KOA’s 2021 North American Campground Report screenshot
According to KOA’s 2021 North American Campground Report, a top consideration for travelers when they book reservations is the availability of pet-friendly facilities.
“My passion is owner education and providing general pet health information,” Dr. Fitz said by way of introduction in the first episode, which keyed on the essential items travelers should include when traveling with pets. Those, she reminded viewers, included any prescriptions — in quantities for the entire trip — as well as flea, tick and heartworm prevention that the pet may be due for while traveling. Other tips included putting together a pet first aid kit. Subsequent installments of the weekly feature included visiting with Joe Mehl from Forest River to discover what some manufacturers are doing to accommodate pet travelers and how to help pets overcome being carsick to enjoy the journey.

To view previous segments of Paws On Board, go to rollinontv.com/?s=pets+on+board.

Speaking of Rollin’ On TV, the show announced in late July that NEXSTAR Media Group — the country’s largest television station owner with 199 stations in 116 markets — has approved ROTV to air on its entire network of stations in the United States.

“ROTV has been airing on a couple of NEXSTAR stations for a few years so we’re familiar with the network and have enjoyed a good long-term relationship with them,” said ROTV Producer Jose Moniz. “We’ll be meeting with each station individually. We have already added a few stations to our schedule and will continue adding additional stations through the end of the year. Most stations have their fall and winter lineup already scheduled, so we’ll see the majority of new stations coming on throughout 2022.”

Currently celebrating its 11th season, Rollin’ On TV has a nationwide household reach of 40-million homes and an average weekly TV viewing audience of around 375,000 homes. ROTV can also be seen on various streaming media outlets as well as on its own website and other partnering websites; for more information, visit rollinontv.com/where-to-watch-rollin-on-tv/.

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