See World-Class Jugglers, Diamond the Shetland Pony and over 30 performing pets including house cats and dogs (all rescued from animal shelters!), geese, white doves, and parrots.

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is entertainment for the whole family, featuring the unique blend of comedy and juggling skills of Ukrainian circus performer Gregory Popovich and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets.

Letter from Gregory:

Dear Friends,

I am excited that this year, The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is celebrating its 10 year anniversary! My show has traveled and performed throughout the Untied States and all over the world-visiting more than 25 countries. I have had the chance to share my show with over a million people, and I am lookin forward to sharing it with many more! As the producer of The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater, I sincerely thank all those who have visited and watched my show, and I appreciate the worldwide interest and support the show continues to receive.

I’d like to take a moment to share a few thoughts with you. Throughout my years as a pet trainer, I have developed a new way for animals to participate in show business. I try to encourage each pet to open up and display his/her personality; then I build the skits and acts in the show around the personalities and talents of the pets. This allows each pet to fully play the part of the actor in my theater. For this reason, I believe that my Comedy Pet Theater is quite an unusual show because the pets are the main actors while the human cast merely helps out.

To date, all my performing cats and dogs are strays that have been saved from animal shelters. Just like your pets, my four-legged companions are very special to me. Years ago, when I came up with the idea to create a show with many animals, I began looking for furry performers for my show. At the suggestion of a friend, I visited an animal shelter to see if I could find a talented pet to adopt. While I was visiting the shelters, I was sad to see so many wonderful cats and dogs without homes and without the love of a family. I was motivated more than ever to create my show with animal actors! I could adopt some of the shelter’s cats and dogs, and let these once-homeless creatures enjoy their lives – and perhaps experience a little bit of stardom. At the same time, featuring animal actors in my show would allow 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.  In fact, 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 give. A second chance to live their lives while enriching ours!

As I briefly mentioned, I don’t believe that I “train” the animals to do a certain trick or stunt for the show. Instead, I teach and encourage the animals to perform onstage by allowing them to show off their individual personalities and talents. Just like people, pets each have a special quirky little thing that they naturally like to do. This thin, or trait, allows the pet to show his/her owner a unique part of his/her personality. Simply put, the special thing each pet does, the natural habits he/she exhibits, is what makes each pet who they are – it is what makes every cat and dog unique. For example, on of my cats, Mischa, loves to jump. So, I incorporate his love for jumping into my show by building the act around his jumping abilities. Another cat of mine, Sugar, loves to climb, so I let him show off his climbing skills onstage, allowing him to be in the spotlight in his very own climbing act. By allowing my pets to perform the stunts they naturally like to do , they enjoy performing as much as the audience love watching! My show is indeed a “theater”, because when my furry actor family members perform for you, they are showing you their very favorite trick!

In this high technology age our children’s lives have become dominated by the artificial world of the internet and television. They have become disconnected from their natural surroundings and make only rare contact with animal and plant life. 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.

As a lover of animals, I am an advocate for pet owners to spay and neuter their four-legged friends. Naturally, I also 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 as Jerry, Rex, and the other rescued dogs in my show can attest, it is never too late to “teach an old dog new tricks”.

If you have seen my show, then perhaps you can relate to some of the thigs I’ve mentioned, because you have see the animal actors in action! But if you have not seen my show, we hope to see you very soon at The Popovich Comedy Pet Theater.

Thank you for your support, and remember, “Animals Are People Too!”

Take Care,

Gregory Popovich