FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pets in America: New Exhibit Exploring the Connection between People and Their Pets
Opens at USC’s McKissick Museum

(Columbia, SC) - Today, almost two-thirds of all American households own a pet. However, few Americans know anything about the history of life with animals at home. Opening December 2, 2005, an exhibit exploring pet ownership in America will tell the story of Americans’ changing relationship with their pets.

Pets in America, on display at the University of South Carolina’s McKissick Museum through April, 2006, includes over 200 objects and photographs related to pet keeping, which have been gathered from public and private collections across the nation. Curated by Dr. Katherine C. Grier, Professor of Material Culture Studies, Winterthur Program in Early American Culture, Winterthur Museum and University of Delaware, the exhibit offers a unique opportunity for the public to learn about the impact of pet keeping in shaping American culture.

“Pets have been part of everyday life in American households for hundreds of years,” says Grier. “The artifacts and images in the exhibit document the routines of pet care and the bonds between people and animals.”

The exhibit will be complimented by a variety of educational public programs and an interactive website. The website will feature a virtual exhibit, links to companion organizations, children’s activities, and resources. The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education will publish a special edition of their newsletter, KIND News, related to the exhibit. Beginning in June 2006, Pets in America will travel to five museums across the country including The National Museum of Heritage in Salem, Massachusetts and the Indiana State Museum and Historic Site in Indianapolis, Indiana.