The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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July 7, 2009

A grrreat campaign

Canine election nearing an end

By Robb Murray

MANKATO — It’s election day, it’s still anybody’s race, and the candidates are working like dogs to get your vote.

Today is your last chance to have your say in who becomes “mayor” of the new shelter being built by the Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society.

The Grrreat Race, as it’s been called, has pitted five dogs — Otis the bulldog, Annie the golden retriever, Koal the giant schnauzer, Booker the lab-retriever mix, and Patch the King Charles cavalier-cocker spaniel mix — against each other in a battle to rule the new shelter, which remains on schedule to be completed by fall.

Voting ends today at 2 p.m. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at The Paw Pet Resort, which will be held cooperatively with a Paw-sponsored event. Nationally known animal expert Joel Silverman, who has appeared on Animal Planet, will serve as a guest speaker Thursday.

“There’s a surge to the finish,” said Suzy Kroon, president of the BENCHS board of directors, said of The Grrreat Race.

Dogs earned votes by people making contributions to the shelter’s capital campaign in the dog’s name. For each $25, the canine candidates received one vote.

Katie Munk, one of two interns working on The Grrreat Race, said Booker, the lab-retriever mix, is in the lead, but Otis is close behind and had a fundraising event at Buster’s Bar Tuesday night. It’s any dog’s race.

“People are really getting into it,” Munk said. “They’ve made posters, gotten their friends and family into it.”

Kroon says the response to the fundraising effort was a pleasant surprise.

“When you do an event this peculiar for the first time,” Kroon said, “you have no idea what’s going to happen.”

So far the campaign has brought in about $5,000, bringing the shelter that much closer to its goal of $1.2 million.

Kroon said the footings are in, the plumbing is done and the floors will be in next week.

“We are in building mode,” Kroon said. “We fully expect to be in there this fall.”

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