Peter, Paul and Mary had a hit tune about a racehorse that was “a-way out yonder ahead of them all,” but nobody had bet on ol’ Stewball. He was a long shot to win but he did.

And, even though Ann Howard’s Kitty Kat is “a-way out yonder ahead of them all,” the ranks are closing and any pet in the Humane Society of Pike County’s 2010 Pet Photo Contest has a good chance to overtake the leader and grace the cover of the society’s 2010 Pet Photo Calendar.

Lisa Howard, contest chair, said Kitty Kat, the 2009 Pet Photo Contest winner, is leading right now with 240 votes, but Barbara Starling’s Sister is right on Kitty Kat’s heels with 225 votes.

“And, we’re still more than two weeks from the finish line,” Howard said. “And the competition really heats up in the last two weeks, so we expect a strong finish from all entries.”

The Pet Photo Contest ends on Tuesday, Aug. 31 and votes with an Aug. 31 postmark will be counted.

The annual Pet Photo Contest is a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Pike County and supports the society’s spay and neuter program, feral cat program and animal education programs in the local schools.

One hundred and six pet photos are entered in the annual contest and the photos may be viewed on the society’s Web site, pikehumane.org, or at the Troy Public Library.

Votes are one dollar each and voting may be done at Hillside Antiques on Highway 231 south of Troy, The Little Framery and Guynn’s Tax and Bookkeeping in Troy or by mail to Pet Photo Contest, P.O. Box 296, Troy, AL 36081.

“We encourage everyone to visit our Web site or the Troy Public Library and vote for their favorite pet photo,” Howard said.

“The pet with the most votes will have its photo on the cover of our 2010 Pet Photo Calendar, and the 12 pets that get the top votes will be the featured pets of the month.”

Howard said the Humane Society of Pike County seeks to reduce the number of abandoned and abused animals in Pike County through its spay and neuter and feral cat programs.

Information released by SpayUSA states that an unspayed female cat, her mate and all of their offspring, producing two litters a year, with 2.8 surviving kittens per litter can total, 11 thousand-plus kittens in five years and 11 million-plus in nine years.

“That’s why our spay and neuter program and feral cat program are so important to us here in Pike County,” Howard said.

“By voting for your favorite pet photo, you will be supporting all of our programs, which include providing in-school educational programs for our young students.”

The Humane Society of Pike County also works with local veterinarians in providing medical care for injured abandoned animals.

Howard said it only takes a few minutes to cast a vote in the 2010 Pet Photo Contest and the vote will help make a positive difference in Pike County for years to come.