It's an election year (duh). And our friends over at Animal Planet have launched Decision 2012, a yearlong campaign pitting Cats against Dogs (with a challenge from the "Menagerie" Party) to determine once and for all which species is America's favorite pet.

Nominations and voting in the "Cutest" category are open now, so visit the site to upload a photo or video of your own best candidate -- and show your rescue pride by adding the #adopted hashtag. Then check out and vote on the other nominees (and search #adopted to see and vote on fellow formerly homeless cuties).

Over the course of the year, nominations and voting will open up in the Smartest, Most Talented, Most Athletic and Funniest categories. The pets with the highest ratings from each category will move onto the "general election" in November, and the final vote will determine which species is elected America's Favorite.

After the jump: Learn more about how Decision 2012 works.

All week we've been showing off the all-rescue stars of this year's Puppy Bowl. (Check out the starting lineup, some of our favorite players and the pigs, kittens and bird of Puppy Bowl VIII.) Now, as the puppies take to the field on Animal Planet, we're giving everyone a virtual backstage pass.

After the jump, take a look at our behind-the-scenes photos and find out which puppy got adopted onsite by a Puppy Bowl staffer!

This Sunday, puppies from shelters and rescue groups will take the field for Animal Planet's eighth annual Puppy Bowl. (Meet some of our favorite players!)

But they won't be the only Petfinder alumni there. Five piggy pep squad members will squeal their delight, 20 kittens will play during halftime and Meep the Cockatiel will "tweet" the game from the stadium. (Follow @meepthebird on Twitter.)

Can't wait for Sunday? After the jump: a sneak preview of Puppy Bowl's kittens, pigs and bird -- some of whom are still adoptable!

This Sunday, Feb. 5, an all-new lineup of adorable rescue puppies will make their debut on Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl (3 p.m. E/P).

Today, we're sharing some of our favorite players -- some of whom are still waiting for forever homes. Come back on game day for exclusive behind-the-scenes photos!

After the jump, meet 23 Puppy Bowl pups. Come back on Friday to meet the kittens from the kitten halftime show, the pigs of the piggy pep squad and the bird who will be live "tweeting" the game!

Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet's My Cat from Hell (Saturdays at 8 p.m. E/P), makes his living helping cat parents who have almost given up hope of solving their pet problems. He revealed to us the top three cat crises he's called in to solve.

PETFINDER: What cat-behavior issues do you see most?
Litter box issues, territory/aggression and integration -- introducing cat-cat, cat-dog, cat-baby, etc.

Why do you think those three are so prevalent?
By and large, it comes from lack of understanding of how your cat sees the world -- in terms of ownership or territory.

After the jump, Jackson's tips for solving these problems.

Animal Planet's new series Saved (Mondays at 8 p.m. ET) recently featured the story of the Pieters family in Lancaster, PA, and their adopted Terrier mix, Jack. The family adopted Jack to be a companion to their young daughter, Maya, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Congenital Bilateral Perisylvian Syndrome. CBPS causes partial paralysis of facial muscles, which results in difficulty eating and swallowing. The disease is also associated with seizures.

Jack's company helped Maya's confidence blossom -- and, four years after he was adopted, when 7-year-old Maya suffered her first grand mal seizure, he literally saved her life by sensing her distress and alerting her parents.

We spoke with Maya's mother, Michelle, about Jack's amazing feat and what he means to her family. Watch the video from Saved above, then read our exclusive interview.

PETFINDER: What made you decide to adopt a dog?
MICHELLE PIETERS: Many of Maya's therapists and doctors were the ones to suggest us getting a dog. This was prior to and after her diagnosis of Congenital Bilateral Perisylvian Syndrome in October 2003.

Maya was very lonely -- her brother, sister and dad were all gone to school all day. She socially did not fit in and really never left my side all day and all night long. None of us except for Mary Elise, Maya's sister, were keen on getting a dog.

Finally Mary Elise pleaded enough so we started checking the Humane League of Lancaster County on a weekly basis. Maya was behind in all developmental areas and was in extensive therapies: speech, physical and occupational. She was very resistant to all of these therapists, especially those that had to deal with her oral motor skills.

We recently spoke with Pit Bull rescuer Tia Torres of Villalobos Rescue Center in Santa Clarita, CA, and star of Animal Planet's hit show Pit Bulls and Parolees (Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET).

She told us about one of her "greatest dog moments." Check it out above, then read our exclusive interview with Tia.

PETFINDER: Who is Cheryl?
TIA: Cheryl is a young girl who was addicted to heroin and lived a rough life.

Why was she separated from Roxy and for how long?
She became separated from Roxy when she was arrested out of a hotel room. They were apart for a year and a half.

How did Roxy come to be in your care?
Because the arrest took place in Oxnard, "someone" contacted "someone" who knew that Mando worked for a Pit Bull rescue so Roxy and her puppies were brought to a friend of his house.

After the jump: Find out why Roxy and Cheryl were able to be reunited and why Tia was so emotional at the reunion.