Leader staff members experienced a cuteness overload while judging this year’s Picture Your Pet photography contest entries.
The Leader received about 230 photo entries featuring all kinds of pets – cats, dogs, a donkey, a horse, a rooster, a ferret, a cockatoo, a tortoise and yes, even a closeup shot of a scary-looking cicada.
Leader readers 50 and older were invited to submit photos for the annual contest, sponsored by Grand Times, Leader Publications’ magazine for seniors. Entries were judged on creativity, composition, charm and technical aspects, such as crop, focus and lighting.
David Breece, 73, of Festus won first place for a photo of his beloved dog, Nora Mandolin, and will receive a $100 prize.
The second-place prize of $75 will go to Janell Santo, 63, of Eureka for a photo of her “granddog,” Winston, a 3-year-old miniature goldendoodle – a golden retriever and poodle mix.
Lance Maurer, 63, of High Ridge won the third-place prize of $50 with a photo of an adorable litter of kittens.
Breece
Breece sent in a picture from 2008 of his red cloud Australian kelpie who died last year at the age of 18. The picture was taken at a local creek.
“It is one of our favorite photos of Nora,” his wife, Brenda Breece, said.
She said Nora was smart and had a crazy personality.
David Breece said Nora had trouble getting around in her later years.
“But when she was near a creek or stream where she could go swimming, this sweet kelpie became a frisky, young puppy, running and jumping in the water,” he said.
“We’d have to carry her back to the car,” his wife added.
Santo
Santo sent in a photo of Winston dressed as painter Bob Ross who hosted “The Joy of Painting” show on PBS for years.
“It was his Halloween costume last year,” she said. “He won a costume contest based on that. The picture makes me laugh every time I see it.”
Winston belongs to Santo’s son and daughter-in-law, Neal and Liz Santo. If the dog looks familiar, he is a bit of an Instagram celebrity with 119,000 followers.
“Winston is just so funny, and so well trained,” Janell Santo said. “It’s crazy how his Instagram site has just blown up. He’s followed by celebrities and everything.”
Santo has Winston’s sister, Birdie, who only occasionally makes an appearance on Winston’s Instagram (winstontheminiaturedood).
Maurer
Maurer said about two years ago, he and his wife, Pauline, who works at an animal hospital and loves cats, sort of adopted a stray cat who lived in the woods behind their home.
“My wife would water and feed it,” he said.
Maurer said the cat disappeared for a while and then they discovered she had a litter of kittens.
“I returned home one afternoon and found she had passed away (by the side of the garage),” Lance said. “I don’t know what happened. I buried her, and when I told my wife, she freaked out and we spent a day looking for (the kittens).”
They found them and brought them inside for a couple days.
“My wife posted this picture on Facebook, and within a couple of days they had a new home. A happy ending from tragedy. I like to think this photo helped a little bit.”
Additional entries to the photo contest can be viewed below:
