APA member Mitchell Spero, PsyD, recently appeared on "The Today Show," "The Ellen Degeneres Show" and many news programs, thanks to his pet, "Florida, the turtle who thinks he's a dog."

Spero, a family therapist in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., trained Florida, a box turtle, to sit, stay and roll over. The wave of media attention began when the psychologist was featured on a local news program. Building on the turtle's popularity, Spero is now working on a series of books and DVDs about Florida that will help children overcome swimming fears and help anxious children "come out of their shells," he says.

"I'm hoping we can really make a difference with this little guy," Spero says.

—S.Dingfelder