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- CUTEST CRITTER PHOTO CONTEST
- DO YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO?
- WHO WANTS TO FOSTER?
- NEWS FROM THE LOCKHART PRISON
- SEPTEMBER MEMORIAL NEWSLETTER
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FoPiP CUTEST CRITTER PHOTO CONTEST |
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It's almost time! At 12 am CST on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, you can submit your photo(s) for the Cutest Critter Photo Contest, sponsored by Friends of Paws in Prison (FoPiP). Not only are you eligible for some really great prizes but FoPiP will also receive much needed funds during this COVID-19 season to support the Paws in Prison program. Don't want to enter? Then please vote for your favorite cutest critter, as many times as you want to help them win!
On Tuesday, September 1, 2020 click HERE to access the page that takes you into the photo contest.
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THE PRIZES!
The first place GRAND PRIZE winner will receive 7 Nights in an ocean view condo in Grand Cayman!
HOWEVER, THERE MUST BE AT LEAST 1,000 VOTES TO WIN.
The Cutest Critter photo with the most votes (however a minimum of 1,000 votes is required to win) will receive a one week stay in a 3 bedroom ocean view condo that sleeps 6 at Plantation Village Beach Resort in the beautiful Grand Cayman Islands! This week can be reserved from a Saturday to Saturday (pending availability) from mid April through mid December in either 2021 or 2022. Airfare is not included. Thanks to A-A-A Storage for this fabulous first grand prize valued at $2,800.
SECOND PLACE WINNER: BEAUTY BOX
The Second Place winner receives our Beauty Box with jewelry, essential oils, hair accessories, soaps, moisturizers, perfume and other items that will help you (or your partner) feel beautiful! Thanks to Steinhagen Metalsmiths, Vicky Weller (Lilla Rose Hair Accessories), Jeannie Twine (Mary Kay Cosmetics) and the Friends of Paws in Prison Board for these fabulous prizes. This prize is valued at $380.
THIRD PLACE WINNER: GIFT CARDS PACKAGE
The Third Place winner gets Gift Cards to various businesses like restaurants, online shopping, and a few other fun shopping opportunities provided by the hard working Friends of Paws in Prison Board. This prize is valued at $225.
FOURTH PLACE WINNER: PET GOODY BOX (2 winners for this one)
Fourth Place receives a Pet Goody Box loaded with all kinds of treats, toys, and a variety of pet products for your Cutest Critter. Because we received several donations from our generous sponsors, we decided to award two fourth place winners. Thanks to Pet Supplies Plus, Thunderpaws Canine Solutions, Planetbluedog.com and Friends of Paws in Prison Board members! These two prizes are valued at $270 and $180.
FIFTH PLACE WINNERS: A CUTEST CRITTER 2021 CALENDAR
The top 12 photos with the most votes will receive a 2021 8.5” X 11” Cutest Critter Calendar complements of Friends of Paws in Prison with each month represented by each of the top 12 Cutest Critter photo winners. These calendars will be mailed to the top 12 winners after the end of the contest and will also be sold in our online website store for approximately $15.
Remember to put it on your calendar!
The contest link to enter and vote begins at 12 am CST on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020.
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Here's How it Works
- The contest entry fee is $5 per submitted photo. Each contestant may enter up to 3 different photos.
- Photos must contain a household pet. People can be in the photo, as long as a pet is also in the photo.
- Each photo vote requires a $1 donation, but there is no limit to the number of votes for the same photo; for example, $25 buys 25 votes. Voters can vote for as many photos as they want as often as they want.
- Voting continues throughout the contest period beginning Tuesday, September 1 at 12 am CST and ending on Friday, October 30 at 11:59 pm. The same person can vote as many times as desired on the same photo or any other photos. There is a real time, ongoing count of the current winning photos.
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There must be a minimum of 1,000 votes to qualify for the first place Grand Prize - one week at a resort in Grand Cayman! There is no minimum number of votes required for 2nd - 5th place winners.
- In case of a tie at the conclusion of the contest, there will be a recorded drawing by a FoPiP board member.
- Board and staff members of FoPiP may enter one photo each for the purpose of promoting the contest to their friends and family, but they may not receive any of the award prizes.
- All photos become the property of FoPiP and can be used for our promotional purposes, such as our newsletters and our website.
- Winners of the prizes are determined by the number of votes received (not by the number of people voting) for each photo.
- All entry fees and votes translate to donations to Friends of Paws in Prison, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, hence your donations are tax deductible.
Start snapping those photos so you are ready to go when the contest opens on Tuesday, September 1. The sooner you submit your photo, the more time you have to ask your friends, who ask their friends, who ask their friends, etc. to vote for your Cutest Critter(s)!
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DO YOU NEED SOMETHING TO DO? |
Just kidding, we won't ask you to pick up dog poop, but Friends of Paws in Prison is in need of volunteers! It takes a lot of work to make this small but powerful organization run well. We need the help of individuals who have a heart for our mission. If you have adopted one of our dogs, read our newsletters or visited our website, you know the positive impact Paws in Prison has on the inmates, the saved dogs, our communities, and the individuals who adopt our well-trained dogs.
We need skills of all shapes and sizes. Do you have social media talent? Are you a good writer or editor? Does helping at an event give you the warm fuzzies? Do you love talking to people? That gives you a sense of some of the special talents we can use to "save more than dogs." Send an email to info@pawsinprison.com to find out if you fit into one of our volunteer super hero slots. The rewards of helping this amazing nonprofit will fill your soul!
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WHO WANTS TO FOSTER?
On rare occasions, Paws in Prison needs a short-term foster home for one of our dogs due to a variety of reasons. We may need a temporary foster home for a dog that was not a good fit for a family, for example if a toddler in the home was just too rough. On the rare occasion that a dog is returned to us, returning him/her to prison may not be in the dog's best interest after living in a home environment. And let’s admit it, prison life isn’t for everyone! A foster home would give us time to pursue finding a new adoptive home.
We think that fostering opportunities would probably be two or less weeks. Could you open your heart and your home to help a dog with this transition? Ideally these homes would work best within the Lockhart, Bulverde, Seguin, and San Antonio area for easy access by our staff, unless you are able to bring the dog to us on occasion, then we can make it all work out. Please send an email to Adoptions@pawsinprison.com for a foster application.
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NEWS FROM PRISON
Melinda Brannok has excelled in the Paws in Prison program, becoming one of the main mentors and trainers to other inmates also in the program. She was instrumental in working with our Executive Director, Catherine Laria, to fulfill the requirements for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's (TDCJ) "On the Job Training" (OJT) program as an Animal Caretaker. The Lockhart Correctional Facility is managed by Management and Training Corporation (MTC), without whom our program would not exist in the Lockhart prison. An excerpt from a letter Melinda wrote follows:
"On behalf of all the women who were once or are now part of the Paws in Prison program at the Lockhart Correctional Facility, I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to MTC and volunteers who worked together to FINALLY complete the necessary components needed to award OJTs to Animal Caretakers. Previously dog handlers weren't recognized for the long hours they put in, even while many juggled their regular work assignments, caring for and training the dogs they lived with 24/7. Many of us take that job assignment very seriously and it was a long awaited and hard earned goal of ours to achieve. This OJT certificate means not only a favorable view from parole, but it's also a major step in the right direction towards gainful employment and, for some of us, a lifelong career. Because of the OJT certificate, us dog handlers will now be recognized as diligent and hardworking participants in our Program. I can't thank you enough."
[OJT is official proof that the offender maintained a full or part-time TDCJ job for a minimum of 6 months, maintained a clean disciplinary record, performed essential functions of the job, maintained a good working relationship with fellow workers and supervisors, and adhered to all safety and security regulations. Many of these women have been taking care of the dogs in the Paws in Prison program for years without any official recognition even though Animal Caretaker is listed as their primary job.]
CONGRATULATIONS LADIES! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU.
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See you in September for our
Machelle Gaconnet Memorial Issue
Our beloved Paws in Prison founder, Machelle Gaconnet, passed away on September 11, 2019, almost one year ago. The September Newsletter is dedicated to Machelle (or Ms. G as the inmates called her) in honor of her and all the lives she has affected over the years, both human and animal. If you have a special story or memory of Machelle you would like to share, please send it to info@pawsinprison.com for possible publication in our September Newsletter.
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Friends of Paws in Prison is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit Organization
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