Pet photo contest seeks feline mvps

The Most Valuable Pet (MVP) photo contest is now underway.

Cat lovers in the US and Canada can submit photos of their pets for a chance to have a $10,000 donation made to a pet charity of their choice, as well as other prizes from the contest’s sponsor, Bissell Homecare.

The deadline for entries is March 29.

Last year’s winner, Gracey, a domestic shorthair tabby cat, was selected from among 50,000 entrants to win the title of MVP. Gracey, known as The Tiniest Tiger on Facebook, also runs the Conservation Club website.
Gracey’s caretaker, Joanne McGonagle, selected PurrEver Ranch Sanctuary in Somerville, Tenn., to receive the $10,000 grand prize donation. PurrEver Ranch Sanctuary is a non-profit hospice for senior and special needs cats.

This is the fourth year Bissell has sponsored the Most Valuable Pet contest.

Each year, Bissell looks forward to demonstrating our company-wide commitment to pets with an initiative that gives back to the pet community, said Ryan McLean, Bissells senior director of marketing. Since its launch in 2008, the MVP Photo Contest has given more than $53,000 in support of pet charities in the U.S.

To enter, cat caretakers can submit photos of their petsby visiting Bissell’s website or uploading photos from their Facebook, Flickr or Shutterfly accounts.

This year, for the first time, the contest is open to both U.S. and Canadian residents. We are delighted to open the competition to pet parents in Canada and broaden our support of pet charities in 2011, McLean said.

After the submission deadline, the public will vote for their choice of MVP from among the contestants. The five pets with the most votes each week will move onto the semi-finals, from which the grand-prize winner and second- through fifth-place winners will be selected. Bissell will announce the weekly winners and offer exclusive contest news through its Facebook page and Twitter account.

In addition to the $10,000 donation, the grand prize winner will receive a $500 shopping spree and the opportunity to have his or her pet featured on Bissells pet product packaging. Runners up will also receive a donation to a charity of their choosing, as well as the opportunity to have their pet featured on Bissell product packaging.

[Source: CatChannel]