Twelve hard-working pet owners have earned top honors in the first annual “Picture Perfect Pet” calendar contest to benefit the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society.
CPHS officials say the effort has resulted in the single largest fundraising event in recent memory with pet owners collecting and donating over $15,000 in their efforts to land their pet photos on the special 2006 calendar.
“And that’s not counting revenue we expect to receive from the sale of the calendars which will begin in early September,” said CPHS Executive Director Dave Hopkins, who spearheaded the contest.
Six area professional photographers were utilized to take the photos used to gather “votes” for more than 90 entries, according to Hopkins.
“They did an incredible job and so did the pet owners,” he added.
The top 12 fundraising pet owners will each have their pet featured on a calendar month.
Two Tyrone residents were included in the list of the top 12 fund raisers.
Ann Dillon of Tyrone collected enough money for her dog EmmiLou to be featured on a calendar month. Phyliss Walk of Tyrone also collected enough money for her dog Daisy Mae to be featured.
The complete list, including amounts raised, and the “honorable mention” list, which earns placement on a special “inside spread” on the calendar, can be viewed by accessing the CPHS website at: www.altoona.net/cphs.
Daily Herald reporter, Amanda Golden, and Daily Herald editor, Christina Seiner, collected enough money to make it onto the “honorable mention” list.
“We would like to thank the entire community for supporting our dogs, Bandit and Logan, in the calendar contest,” said Amanda.
She would like to thank the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce, Puff-n-Snuff, OIP, SilverScreen Video, Fat Freddy’s, Town and Country Animal Hospital, Omega Bank and Daren Desch for placing collection cans at their businesses.
“We are ecstatic about the results of the contest,” added Hopkins. “We’re just absolutely thrilled that so many took part and are amazed at some of the amounts they collected to help our homeless animals. We’re very, very encouraged by this since it’s our first effort and we hope to make it even bigger and better next year.
“We really want to thank each and every pet owner who took part, and we know they’ll enjoy seeing their pets on the calendars when we introduce them for sale,” he said.
The calendars will sell for $7 each and will be $5 for CPHS members who show their membership cards at the time of purchase.
Calendars will be available at a number of retail outlets, including the CPHS shelter in Greenwood and also at the thrift shop located at 220 E. Walton Ave., Altoona.
