Photos submitted to Times Observer Gregory Popovich with Rex the Dog and Sebastian the Cat.

Gregory Popovich is a multi-award-winning juggler, acrobat, physical comedian, circus clown, and the heart, soul and genius behind Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, appearing at Warren’s Struthers Library Theatre on Sunday, April 2.

Dubbed the “Dr. Dolittle from Moscow” by the New York Times, Popovich will be arriving at the historic theatre with over 30 pet performers. All the furry and feathered stars — including a miniature horse, twelve dogs, fourteen cats, three geese, two goats, one parrot, and six white mice – share one special trait.

They have all been adopted from animal shelters.

“Years ago, while I was visiting shelters looking for furry performers, I was sad to see so many wonderful cats and dogs without homes and without the love of a family, shared Popovich. “This sight motivated me even more to create my animal show!”

Popovich’s love of animals is much deeper than show biz hype.

“Just like your pets, my four-legged companions are very special to me,” Popovich said. “Featuring animal actors in my show allows me the opportunity to spread the message that there are hundreds of thousands of animals in shelters, just like my four-legged performers, who are simply hoping and waiting to share their talents and love.”

The folks at Struthers Library Theatre bringing the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater show to Warren could not agree more. So they teamed up with Warren’s Paws Along The River Humane Society to promote pet adoption.

“We came together to think about what we could do to further awareness of pet adoption and celebrate all our pet family members,” said Paws Along the River Humane Society Executive Director Karen Kolos. “In the end, we decided to team up to present: a pet trick contest, a detergent donation drive, and a special appearance by Gregory Popovich at Paws Along the River Humane Society.”

The contest called “Treats for Tricks” invites pet owners to share photos or videos of their pets on Facebook doing their very best tricks. All pet owners need to do is type #PATR in the post that accompanies their pet photo or video.

All posts containing the Paws Along the River hash tag will be reviewed and a winner selected by Gregory Popovich himself. Contest winners will be contacted through their Facebook page and may win tickets to Popovich’s show, gift certificates at Paws and Shop, and other great prizes.

A detergent donation drive has also been established to benefit Paws Along the River Humane Society. Anyone bringing dish soap or laundry detergent to Struthers Library Theatre on April 2nd between 1 and 2 p.m. will receive a chance to win a pet-themed gift basket including pet treats; toys; a gift certificate at Paws and Shop; A Perfect Puppy leash, harness and treat bag; and more. After the show, all detergent collected will be used at Paws Along The River Humane Society.

Lastly, Gregory Popovich has agreed to make a special appearance at Paws Along the River before his show to meet the local adoptable pets…as well as any human types that would like to say hello.

The reception to welcome Popovich and raise awareness for pet adoption will be held from 11 a.m. until noon at the shelter on April 2 before Popovich’s 2 p.m. show at the Struthers Library Theatre.

“I sometimes think that my show should be called ‘A Second Chance,’ because that’s exactly what my animals, and any of your adopted pets, have been given,” Popovich said. “As a lover of animals, I strongly promote the practice of adopting a dog or cat from a local shelter. The contribution this practice makes to the animal world is indeed a life saver and the responsibility a child can learn from caring for a pet will endure a lifetime. Furthermore, the love and companionship created through a special bond between a pet owner of any age and his/her pet is invaluable.”

On behalf of Moscow’s Dr. Dolittle, Paws Along the River Humane Society, Struthers Library Theatre and show sponsor Superior Tire & Rubber, we hope you will support and share the benefits of pet adoption and give a pet “a second chance.

Tickets to The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater are available online at www.strutherslibrarytheatre.com, by calling (814) 723-7231, by stopping by the theatre office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays or the box office one hour before the 2 p.m. show on Sunday, April 2.