Where have all the doggies gone?

That’s what the Humane Society of Pike County is asking.

With the society’s 2019 Pet Photo Contest just out of the starting blocks, 23 pets have logged votes but 19 of those are cats.

“So far, only four dogs have been entered,” said Donna Brockmann, humane society president. “But even so, one dog, Cocoa, is leading the pack. But Callie, a cat, is right on Cocoa’s heels and two other cats are right behind her. Callie is a former Pet Photo Cover Girl, so she knows what it takes to win.”

But it’s any animal’s contest to win.

“It’s early in the contest and we’re off to a good start,” Brockmann said. “We still have two weeks to go to enter and there is no telling what surprise entries we might have.”

Naturally, most entries are dogs and cats but a pair of matching mules has graced the cover of the Pet Photo Calendar and a goat was a monthly feature. Ducks have made a good showing in the contest and so have other members of the animal kingdom.

Several pets are memorial entries in the Pet Photo Contest and Brockmann said these animals are also in the realm of possibilities as featured pets.

But in reality, all pets are winners because the funds raised by the annual Pet Photo Contest are dedicated to reducing the number of neglected, abandoned and abused animals in Pike County.

“The best way to control the unwanted animal population is to have dogs and cats spayed/neutered,” Brockmann said. “Each year, the Humane Society of Pike County dedicates about $20,000 to its spay/neuter program. These funds come from the Pet Photo Contest and calendar sale. That’s how important it is to have a minimum of 66 entries.”

All pet owners are encouraged to enter their animals in the 11th Annual Pet Photo Contest.

“Just round up your favorite photo of your pet or take new ones and submit them to the 2019 Pet Photo Contest,” Brockmann said, adding that 2019 is Alabama’s Bicentennial year and a great time for a pet to be photoed and honored.

Entries are $10 each and votes are $1. The deadline for entry is August 11. Voting deadline is 5 p.m. September 1.

There are two ways to enter a pet, by submitting online at www.pikehumane.org or picking up entry forms and leaving photos at either Guynn’s Income Tax and Bookkeeping Service, Jinright’s Hillside Antiques, The Little Framery or Three Notch Antiques (formerly Troy Antiques), all in Troy.

The pet with the greatest number of votes will be featured on the cover of the 2019 Pet Photo Calendar. The pets with the 13 next highest votes will be honored as the monthly winners. There will be 52 weekly winners and the honorable mentions. All pets entered in the Pet Photo Contest will be pictured on the 2019 Pet Photo Calendar.