ASPCA dog photo contest winners announced

After receiving nearly 2,000 entries, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is pleased to announce 10 winners of the 2007 ASPCA Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month Photo Contest, in which canine parents were invited to submit favorite photos of their pooches. This October, the ASPCA sponsored a series of online activities, including the photo contest, to engage the public and encourage pet lovers to make pet adoption their first option.
"Celebrating October as Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month is a great way to highlight the unlimited potential shelter dogs have to be unequaled pets," said ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres. "And getting involved in the ASPCA's online community is a great way to demonstrate the joys of being a pet parent."
The contest's guest judge was Traer Scott, a fine art photographer and author of Shelter Dogs and Street Dogs (Merrell). She selected 10 stunning images of dogs in their natural environments. The winning subjects include Boomer, a shy Sheltie who loves the snow; Phoebe, a playful Pit girl; Journey, a master landscape artist; Max, a Schnauzer/Terrier mix, who likes to deconstruct his toys; Gracie, a Beagle and napper extraordinaire; Tippy, a spunky Chihuahua mix; Gigi, a brave Pit bull survivor; Mattie, a loving Chihuahua; Skippy, a carefree Beagle/Dachshund mix; and New York City's own Bella, a happy-go-lucky Miniature Pinscher.
All of the winners received a prize pack that includes an ASPCA T-shirt, a copy of Shelter Dogs, a Harley dog plush toy, and an ASPCA wristband.
Please visit www.aspca.org to see the pooches' winning photographs and learn more about their proud pet parents.
In addition to the photo contest for the public, the ASPCA sponsored another contest for shelter staffers and employees across the country. They were invited to submit photos of their "diamonds- in-the-ruff," those sweet shelter dogs who still need a home. The ASPCA extends congratulations to the winning shelter dogs from: K-9 Bed & Biscuit, Greeley, Colo.; the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, Kansas City, Kan.; the Humane Society of Greater Akron, Peninsula, Ohio; SPCA Cincinnati; Adopt-A-Mutt, Tucson, Ariz.; the Florida East Coast Humane Society, St. Augustine, Fla.; the Wake County Animal Control and Adoption Center, Raleigh, N.C.; Waggin' Tails Dog Rescue, Northville, Mich.; Dearborn Animal Shelter, Dearborn, Mich.; Wisconsin Humane Society, Milwaukee, Wis.; New Rochelle Humane Society, New Rochelle, N.Y.; Asheville Humane Society, Asheville, N.C.; Placer County Animal Services, Auburn, Calif.; Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, Lewiston, Maine; and Pasco County Animal Services, Land O'Lakes, Fla.
For more information about how to adopt these special shelter dogs, and to view all of the winning images, please visit www.aspca.org .

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has more than one million supporters throughout North America. A 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York's animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series "Animal Precinct" on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.