Roger A. Caras (May 28, 1928 February 18, 2001) was an American wildlife photographer, writer, wildlife preservationist and television personality. Known as the host of the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Caras was a veteran of network television programs including Nightline, ABC News Tonight and 20/20 before devoting himself to work as president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and to becoming an author. Born May 28, 1928, in the rural town of Methuen, Massachusetts, Caras was raised in a family that encouraged love of animals. His parents allowed him to foster a menagerie of pets and during the Depression he went to work at the age of 10 to help pay for his pets upkeep. He first job, working in the stables of a SPCA shelter, was his first experience with animal rescue in the shelter s haven for abused horses. He completed his education at Boston s Huntington Preparatory School and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Army near the end of World War II.