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Lexie, a toy Pomeranian, takes the top prize in Pet Idol
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By MISTY MAYNARD, Staff Writer
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Drumroll, please.
After more than 85,000 votes and $21,000 raised, the winner of the second annual Pet Idol competition is the adorable 6-year-old toy Pomeranian, Lexie, owned by Candy Douglas of Maysville.
In an interview Wednesday, Douglas was not aware of the results of the competition, but was eagerly anticipating those results. She shared then her plans to stay awake all night Thursday until her newspaper arrived in the early morning hours on Friday to discover the winner of the popular competition that gives owners a chance to showcase their beloved pets.
"She's such a wonderful dog," said Douglas. "I've never had a dog, ever that loves me so much."
While Douglas said she was "hopeful" regarding the results of the competition, win or lose she was gratified to have been part of a competition that raises money for a good cause.
Proceeds from the 2007 Pet Idol competition will be split between the Humane Society of Buffalo Trace, which will get the majority of the proceeds and the Newspapers in Education program, which provides newspapers to local students. The competition is sponsored by The Ledger Independent.
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| Lexie, the winner of this year's Pet Idol contest, poses during a photo session. The Pomeranian is owned by Candy Douglas. -- Terry Prather/Staff |
"We're just glad we could help raise money," said Douglas. "I can't emphasize how important it is that these little animals have a home."
Douglas assumed ownership of Lexie after a lady asked her if she would take her. The lady, Douglas said, needed to find a good home for the dog, and Douglas' previous pet died on Christmas the year before.
"We bonded instantly," said Douglas.
Douglas said Lexie never leaves her side when she is in the house, and is a very intelligent and attentive dog.
At only 4 pounds, Lexie does not appear intimidating, but Douglas said she is "better than having the Brinks Security System."
"I wouldn't take her on," said Douglas.
Though small, Lexie has quite a big personality. Often called "Lexie baby," by Douglas, the dog is fond of Halloween, the color yellow and her toy giraffe. Her favorite food is Burger King French fries.
Douglas said she had been planning a celebration after Pet Idol results were announced, regardless of whether Lexie won or not.
"Most of all, I'm just glad we could be in it," she said.
Douglas' words were echoed by others who took part in the competition.
One of the top 10 finalists for the competition is 1 1/2-year-old Labradoodle, Shadow. Shadow is owned by Tom and Shirley Josche of Fizzleville, Ohio, and is in training to be a therapy dog.
Shirley Josche said she saw the competition last year and thought it looked interesting. So this year, she and her husband decided to take part.
Shadow, Shirley Josche said, is a lovable dog, intelligent and mischievous.
The couple sometimes takes the dog to nursing homes when they visit, and said the dog has been in training to become a registered therapy dog.
"She goes room to room," said Shirley Jorsche of the dog during her visits. The residents of the nursing homes respond to the friendly dog.
"They really love to see her," she said.
Shirley Jorsche said Shadow "wrote" letters, and calls were made to friends of the family to garner support for the animal.
"She's just a special little dog, well, big dog," she said. "We're just proud of her and we love her."
Also in the top 10 is Otis, son of 2006 Pet Idol winner Copper Todd. Otis is a 3-year-old Basset hound owned by Randy and Tammy Brewer of West Union, Ohio.
Tammy Brewer said Thursday the family had recruited support for Otis from their neighborhood and respective places of employment. She said she was curious to see how Otis could do, since his father won the last competition.
"He's just a good dog," she said. "He loves everybody."
Otis enjoys playing sports with Tammy Brewer's three sons, and is fond of Cheezits.
"He can tell you right where the Cheezits are," she said.
Otis also requires a walk every night, or he will not go to bed, Tammy Brewer said.
Rounding out the top 10 list is Rocky, a 5-year-old Boston terrier owned by Eric and Lora Goodwin of Maysville; Bentley, a 2 1/2-year-old pug owned by Ashley Rice of Ripley, Ohio and entered into the competition by grandparents Mike and Linda Rice; Scooby, a 2-year-old pug owned by Stephanie Thornton of Maysville; Sophie Sue, a 1-year-old shih tzu and Maltese mix owned by Jesse and Jennifer Evans of Flemignsburg; 5-year-old Patrick and 6-year-old Maggie, both Doberman pinchers, owned by Bob and Sheila Euth of Maysville; Ellabelle, a 2 1/2-year-old Pomeranian owned by Emily Evertz of Maysville; and Mike, a 7-year-old Basset Hound owned by Bill and Mary List of Ripley.
The funds raised will continue to support the Newspapers in Education program, as well as the humane society.
According to Rebecca Cartmell, president of the local humane society, the funds have been slated to go into the spay-neuter program, which is "going very well right now." However, if necessary, the funds could be re-allocated.
The humane society has been trying to get a building, and has been seeking funding opportunities for that project, but Cartmell said it must be able to support the recurring operating costs of that building.
The humane society was the beneficiary of last year's competition as well, receiving about $18,000 from the competition.
Though there were about 10 fewer entries into this competition, money raised exceeded last year's results by a few thousand dollars.
"I'm tickled to death," said Cartmell. "Very happy."
Contact Misty Maynard at misty.maynard@lee.net or 606-564-9091, ext. 274. |
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Reader Comments
Comments are limited to 200 words or less.
Tom Josche wrote on Oct 22, 2007 3:48 PM: " A special thanks to everyone who supported the Humane Society by voting for their favorite animal. Thanks also to the kindness of the Ledger-Independent staff & photographer Terry Prather for the wonderful photos. And congratulations to Lexie & her mommie, Candy Douglas. "
Thanks wrote on Oct 20, 2007 9:26 AM: " A big thanks to all who sponsored and participated in this contest. I have personally enjoyed seeing all the pictures and think it is wonderful folks are arising to such a good cause.....the animals. "
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