By Tribune-Review News Service

Published: Friday, April 30, 2010

Amanda Hess has been wild about pets — both warm-blooded and cold-blooded — for most of her adult life. More recently, she's become a fan of the TV show "Wife Swap."

Both of those interests dovetailed last year, when the Blairsville woman, her husband, Paul, their blended clan and their houseful of animals took part in filming for the popular reality series.

The resulting episode is set to air at 9 p.m. today on the ABC network.

"I loved 'Wife Swap' before," Amanda Hess said. "I had never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be on TV."

Viewers across the country will see Hess trade places with a Kentucky woman who loves designer fashions and finds sharing a home with pets distasteful.

In each episode, wives from two families with contradictory lifestyles exchange husbands, children and lives (but not bedrooms) during a two-week challenge.

The Hess family has eight dogs, a de-scented skunk, an alligator, and various lizards and snakes.

According to Hess, a casting representative for the "Wife Swap" show was "looking for someone in the reptile industry," and, after coming across the website for her reptile show, sent her an e-mail inquiring whether she'd be interested in applying.

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