Pets & Pickers is a docuseries that follows a Canadian animal hospital, the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS) in Richmond, British Columbia.[1] Pets & Pickers premiered on Discovery Channel (Canada) on May 12, 2022, and later premiered in the United States on Animal Planet on February 18, 2023.[2] It was renewed for a second season, which premiered on May 6, 2023.[3]
At the RAPS hospital, pets receive urgent care, even when owners can't afford it. The hospital owns two thrift stores, and sales supplement the cost of care.[4] A dedicated team of picking specialists also sort through abandoned storage bins to find valuables to pay for surgeries.[5]
In episode 202 ("Anything’s Pawsible"), thrift store manager Karen Kamach and her team discover a Comox Valley resident's late father's belongings inside an abandoned storage bin, including wood masks, family photographs, and a Father's Day gift she painted 36 years ago.[6] The family received the items from the thrift store, noting, "We are so blessed," and "Thank you to all of the people who worked on this recovery."[7]
In 2023, Pets & Pickers was nominated for two Leo Awards, including "Best Direction in a Information, Lifestyle or Reality Program or Series" and "Best Screenwriting in an Information, Lifestyle or Reality Series" for the "Pets in Peril" episode in the first season.[8]
