Sampson County is full of cute and unique pets. That’s why it’s important for you to not only submit your pet into The Sampson Independent’s Cutest Pet Contest, but start entering your votes today.
Voting officially begins today for the annual contest.
Submissions for the yearly contest have been coming in since March 1, but can continued to be submitted through the end of the contest, March 29. However, according to Shannon Best, the Independent’s media director, the earlier you enter, the better chance you have at winning.
“We always get excited about the Cutest Pets Contest,” Best said. “I think of my dog Blaze as my child and I know there are tons of people in the county that feel the same.”
The contest officially began in early March, but voting began today. But don’t worry, if you haven’t submitted your cute animal yet, folks with pets can continue to submit their photos online by visiting The Sampson Independent website (www.clintonnc.com) and clicking on the contest logo on the right side of the page. A valid email address is required for contestants to participate.
Winners of the contest will be announced April 2, in the Sunday edition of the newspaper. There will be two overall winners, receiving $100 prize, and $50 will be given to the second and third place winners.
Prizes will be awarded to winners, thanks to the generosity of merchants such as Performance Dodge and Badcock Home Furniture & More of Elizabethtown, who are primary sponsors, and Perrine, Wiley & Potts Orthodontics and Tram Road Animal Hospital, who are secondary sponsors.
Sponsors like Performance and Badcock are pet lovers, and say they enjoy seeing the different entries submitted each year in the contest.
“I think it’s great,” Chad Stocks of Badcock Home Furniture & More said about the now annual contest. “You can go through the contest and see the different qualities in each animal. Pets bring joy to everyone.”
And all pets are welcome. While there may only be a dog and cat category online, Best said any animal can be submitted.
“We have people who have a pig, goat or lizard as a pet,” Best said. “They are welcome to enter any type of animal.”
Sherry Matthews, publisher and editor for The Sampson Independent, offered thanks for all five contest sponsors for their willingness to participate.
“We couldn’t do these contests without our partner sponsors,” Matthews said. “We hope animal-lovers will enter their pets in the contest and we hope they will frequent our sponsors, being sure to thank them for helping make this contest possible.”
The Cutest Pets, Best said, was one of the Independent’s most popular contests.
“It is a reader favorite for certain. People absolutely love their pets and want to show them off. We are providing them the venue to do just that, so we urge everyone to visit the website, click on the contest logo and enter their pet. And when the time comes, we urge everyone to participate in voting.”
Voting and registration has been as simple as possible, and that starts by visiting www.clintonnc.com and clicking on the Cutest Pets icon. Then just follow the instructions to get an animal into the competition or to begin voting, or both.
Voting and entering is completely free. All one has to have is a valid email address and the desire to have a little fun to either enter or cast your votes.
