PHOENIX, Ariz. — Look out American Idol, there’s a new game in town. RESCUE, a non-profit 501(c)3, based in Phoenix, had such success with their first pet idol contest at the local level, that this year, they are taking it national. The national pet idol contest will benefit the efforts of RESCUE, an organization that is dedicated to saving the lives of animals on euthanasia lists.
“We are so excited about this year’s contest,” Jennifer Klein, Executive Director, RESCUE, said. “The first year we raised over $9,000 and that was just at the local level. We know people love their pets, so we wanted to open up the contest to everyone.”
The registration process is simple. Interested contestants submit photos of their pets, and viewers vote for their favorites; entries and votes are $1 a piece.
All entries must be received by midnight on Tuesday, October 23 and the voting begins the next day. There are three rounds of voting with the winners of each round proceeding to the next. The winners are those entries receiving the most votes. Final winners will be announced on November 15 and will receive prizes from sponsors and their pet’s photo will appear in “Animal Wellness.”
All pet photos are welcomed – cute, funny, simple and curious. Turtles, ferrets, and chinchillas are among the more non-traditional entrants.
“We know that your pet is a star,” Klein said. “Now, is the opportunity to show the world.”
Based on this year’s success, RESCUE hopes to time next year’s Pet Idol to coincide with the national talent phenomena “American Idol.”
RESCUE relies on no government funding and is proud to reveal that they have been in existence since 1995. They rely on volunteers and private funding and have no central facility; they are volunteer run.
“Community effort and involvement has been overwhelming,” Klein said. “The old adage ‘it takes a village’ holds true when it comes to meeting the goals of RESCUE.”
RESCUE is an acronym for “Reducing euthanasia at shelters through commitment and underlying education.” They are a registered non-profit that has found homes for over 8,800 dogs and cats. Their motto is “for every animal we place, we are back to rescue another.”
For more information about RESCUE and the Pet Idol Contest, visit: http://www.azrescue.org.
Note: Pet Idol has no relationship with American Idol or any other “Idol” TV show.
