The Humane Society of Pike County’s 2016 Pet Photo Calendars are hot off the press and available for sale just in time for Christmas.

Donna Brockmann, Pet Photo Contest chair, said the 2016 contest was a huge success with 73 pets entered and more than $11,000 raised in the contest alone.

“We still have advertising dollars to come in and calendar sales so this will be a very successful fundraising campaign,” Brockmann said. “The funds raised have been dedicated to our spay and neuter program which will be held before spring.”

“Bandit,” the best friend of Steve and Dell Stokes of Troy was the winner of the 2016 Pet Photo Contest and is featured on the cover of the calendar.

“The Stokes acquired Bandit about three years ago,” Brockmann said. “Bandit first belonged to the couple’s son, Jeremy but pets were not allowed in his apartment complex so Jeremy went to live with Steve and Dell and his fur siblings, Smokey and Bella.”

Brockmann said an interesting sideline to Bandit’s story is that he was treated by Dr. Doug Hawkins for a severe case of parvo and his life was saved.

“The members of the humane society believe it is fitting for Dr. Doug and Bandit to appear beside each other on the inside cover of the calendar,” Brockmann said.

The 2016 Pet Photo Calendar is a tribute to the late Doug Hawkins, 1935-2015, beloved Troy veterinarian for 52 years.

The 13 pets with the next highest number of votes are featured on the calendar as Pets of the Month. All other pets are pictured on the calendar.

“Every pet has a place on the Humane Society of Pike County’s Pet Photo Calendar and every one of them is special,” Brockmann said. “The large format calendars make wonderful Christmas gifts for family members and pet lovers.”

The calendars are $10 each and will be shipped for $15. The calendars are on sale at The Confetti Crate, The Freckled Frog, Haisten, Shipman & Wiggins, The Little Framery, Pike Animal Hospital, Trojan Animal Clinic, Troy Antiques and Troy Bank & Trust Main Branch in Troy; Sisters Restaurant and Jinright’s Hillside Antiques on Highway 231 South of Troy; and Jones Animal Clinic in Brundidge.

The Humane Society of Pike County’s annual spay/neuter program offers discount spay/neuters for pets of residents of Pike County and for pets of Troy University students. All veterinary clinics in Pike County participate.