Dixie Dogs & Cats is sponsoring a contest to name the Dog of the Year and the Cat of the Year in Bradley County.

From there, the group that is planning to open a low-cost spay/neuter clinic later this year, will have a dog walk and finish the effort with the 2009 Pet of the Year Calendar.

“Our Dog of the Year and Cat of the Year will be known throughout Bradley County,” Dixie Dogs & Cats President Betti Gravelle said.

“They will represent our organization and be the example of what a well-cared for and loved pet should be.

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The contest to name the Cat of the Year and Dog of the Year kicked off Saturday. The deadline to enter is Sept. 24.

Pet guardians pay $5 to enter their feline of canine in their respective contest. The “votes” are collected as Dixie Dogs & Cats set up displays of animals, including their photos, throughout the community. The public will vote for which dog or cat will be the winner with their pocketbooks — each vote costs $1.

“We’d like to see people think about the dogs and cats they have loved,” Ms. Gravelle said. “Do you think it should be a prissy poodle or a scruffy rescue who is Dog of the Year? Do you think it should be a dignified Siamese or an alley cat who is the county’s most fabulous feline? You can influence the decision with your ‘votes’ and all those votes will go toward helping to fund the new spay/neuter clinic.

“Getting the clinic opened means that needed services can be available to animals whose guardians don’t have the financial resources to provide their pets with spay/neuter and vaccines.”

The winners of the Cat of the Year and Dog of the Year contest will be announced at the Dixie Dogs & Cats dog walk on Saturday, Oct. 25, at Fletcher Park.

The dog walk — the Pooch Parade — is open to all dogs and their guardians with no fee to participate. Other activities are being planned in conjunction with the event and will be announced in the coming weeks, according to Gravelle.

Dogs must be on leashes and current on vaccines to participate in the Pooch Parade.

The winners will receive various forms of recognition.

The Dog of the Year will be grand marshal for the Pooch Parade.

The Cat of the Year will receive a large treat basket filled with goodies ranging from catnip to toys.

The Dog of the Year and the Cat of the Year will also have their images incorporated into the logo for Dixie Dogs & Cats’ Dixie Day Spay low-cost spay/neuter clinic.

The two winners will be provided with a photo shoot with a professional photographer and that photograph will be the cover of the 2009 Dixie Dogs & Cats Pet of the Year Calendar.

The guardians of the Dog of the Year and Cat of the Year will receive and 8x10 photograph of the shot that is chosen for the calendar cover as well as a copy of the calendar, which will be sold throughout the community later this year.

Each month will carry a photograph of the pets who received the most votes after the Dog of the Year and the Cat of the Year was selected.

Only pets who are spayed/neutered may be entered into the Pet of the Year contest.

Entry forms for Cat of the Year and Dog of the Year can be downloaded at www.dixiedogsandcats.org or pet guardians may call 423-478-9458 or 423-618-2101 to have an entry form mailed to them.