With the deadline of the 2019 Pet Photo Contest looming near, the race is heating up for the honor of being the cover pet for the Bicentennial year calendar.

Donna Brockmann, president of the sponsoring Humane Society of Pike County, said dogs are holding to the top four spots but a couple of cats are within striking distance.

“It not time to count any pet out,” Brockmann said. “The contest ends at 5 p.m. Saturday so there is still plenty of time to vote for your favorite pet or pets.”

Pepper the pup of Emma Dickey, and Maggie the pup of Joette Booker are leading the pack but Brockmann said the numbers will change many times over the next three days.

“Just when it looks like the dogs are going to walk away with the contest, the cats come scratching back,” she said. “It’s a dog and cat fight to the finish. Dog lovers are determined for dogs to win and cat lovers are just as determined for the cats to come out of top.”

Jo Ann Echols’s Cali is a past cover pet and knows what it takes to win. Kenny and Elaine Pinckard would like nothing better than for Brandy Grace to be the cat’s meow.

“It’s any pet’s race to win,” Brockmann said. “And, the race is close for the winners of the month. There will be 13 of them and any pet has a good chance to be one of the 52 weekly winners. Every one of the 86 pets entered has votes so keep voting until 5 p.m. Saturday, September 1.”

Brockmann said she will miss the first half of Troy University’s opening season game Saturday to tally votes that come in via email.

“I’ll be at my computer three hours before Saturday’s deadline,” she said. “Every vote is important and I’ll be right there accepting votes until 5 p.m. Saturday.”

On-site voting will end at 5 p.m. sharp on Saturday at The Little Framery, Three Notch Antiques, Guynn’s Income Tax and Bookkeeping Services and Jinright’s Hillside Antiques.

“Because Monday is Labor Day, the votes that are cast at the on-site locations will be picked up on Tuesday,” Brockmann said. “We will also allow a couple of days for any mail-in votes that were mailed before the Saturday deadline. So, the final count will be later than usual but we want to make sure every vote that makes the deadline is counted.”

Brockmann encouraged everyone to vote.

“Each vote is only one dollar and the funds that are raised support the HSPC spay/neuter program,” she said. “The best way to control the unwanted and unloved animal population is by spaying and neutering.”