*Head Bitch's Note - In order to keep our judges anonymous I have changed any reference to real names to Mr. & Mrs. X
Dear Shannon,
Let me begin by saying how honored Mrs. X and I felt to have been asked to judge this very difficult contest. At the risk of sounding like a politician, all of these dogs are winners to have such wonderful dog-parents that took the time and used such creative efforts to make a plea for their dog to win.
The entries were all very, very special each in their own way. Both of us had a few that we liked right away but we were also in agreement that were going to look at all of them very thoroughly and not short change any of the entries.
I can say that right off the bat that the video entries grabbed our attention. However, there was a lot more to consider than just that. After all, Miss America is not chosen based just on her beauty. There are many factors in determining the winner and we felt that these entries deserved the same consideration. Some of the many things we looked at as follows:
1. WOW FACTOR. Did the entry wow us right away? When we saw it for the first time was there something that really made us take notice.
2. ORIGINALITY & CREATIVITY. There is no doubt that all of the participants made an effort just by entering. However we were also looking for things that really showed off how much thought, effort and perhaps cleverness was used to make the case for each dog to win. We looked at the written word, photos used, music used, video footage used. Was it funny? Did it tug at our heartstrings? Did it make us smile?
3. SHOWING LOVE FOR LUCKY FIONA. We looked for how much the entry mentioned wanting to wear Lucky Fiona Collars. It was not just a contest for cutest dog. Lucky Fiona is sponsoring the contest and the object was to win that Collar of the Month. We wanted the dogs to tell us how much they wanted that very special prize!
If you will indulge us, we are going to go through each entry and tell you what we really liked about them and give you an idea of our thought process in picking the winners. After that, we will list the winners!
Contestant 1. WALLY.
We both agreed right away that he was a very cute little guy. From what we saw, there was very little doubt that his small stature packed a lot of personality. The fact that he is so small and wonderful, it is easy to understand why he has a hard time finding “off the rack” collars that fit properly for his size and personality. We loved the banjo/fiddle country ditty in the background. It really helps him to shine.
Contestant 2. WINSTON
He is a really handsome fella. What a great story and it was very well written. We particularly liked learning about his special relationship with his dog-dad. As a fellow dog-dad, that made me smile. The comparisons of P.F. Flyers making you run faster to a new-collar make naptime more fashionable was also a highlight for us. We would have liked a few more pictures of him though. Another strong candidate!
Contestant 3. ZOEY
Gorgeous girl. We loved the music! (Big Rick James fans here) Very clever use of photos and videos. She has a lot of potential. She is a very cute girl and looks super lovey-dovey. We just felt that there was no mention of wanting to win Lucky Fiona Collars. If we based the contest just on cuteness, she’d be a strong candidate to win.
Contestant 4. MOLLY
Oh, what a sweetheart. The music and presentation were terrific. A real stand out. It showed us how wonderful she is and how much she really wants to win the contest. Poor thing deserves the spotlight for once. No more standing in the shadows of her gorgeous sibs. Her name could be Cinderella and the Lucky Fiona collars could be her glass slippers!
Contestant 5. GEORGE
The opening sequence provided a lot of that “wow factor” we mentioned. He is a lad with such beautiful and soulful eyes. A regal looking boy who seems to personify elegance and grace. There was nice mention of wanting those collars and there is no doubt he’d look great in them!
Contestant 6. BUCKLEY
Another very strong candidate! Aside from being such a handsome sweet boy with some of the most beautiful freckles ever, he does a great “basset ball”! Who doesn’t love leading man good looks combined with belly button lint? The sounds he makes can only be imagined and a video of these things would have been great. However, a Top Ten list is never a bad way to go either!
Contestant 7. JOEY RAMONE
Besides having a GREAT name this boy’s hard luck story makes him a natural choice for a prize. The song makes that video even better! . A very handsome and rugged pooch that loves to swim and hates lonely basements makes the heart melt. However, this appears to be another entry where there was not a lot of Lucky Fiona collars mentioned. We felt that video would be great for finding him adoptive parents!
Contestant 8. PRANK
Another entry packed with “wow factor”. A video Top Ten list with some unbelievable photos that really show off the many faces of Prank. The entry had some cute and funny pictures as well as some great action shots. We also got lots of shots of some great Lucky Fiona collars. We also like learning how Prank got her name. Klepto’s cameos were also a welcome bonus. The music and style of the presentation were great as well.
Contestant 9. OAKLEY
We really got a kick out of the million-collar pun. It was one time where pun WAS intended. Another GREAT presentation with “wow factor” and some wonderful and well-rounded shots of a beautiful English setter. Such an expressive boy who seems to be easy going and a perfect companion. They certainly made mention of Lucky Fiona collars in this one. This entry would make a GREAT commercial for Lucky Fiona!
Contestant 10. SNOWBALL
This entry really made us laugh. A simple song and a great video had a big impact. This one had some originality and was fun to watch. We could really picture Snowball actually singing that song. This is one dog that we feel should never be upstaged by Kassie or anyone else. Instead of collars, this pooch should receive a cell phone to call their own!
After a lot of debate and discussion, we felt that they should all be winners but we knew that we had to narrow it down to three. Being a judge is not easy….
1st PLACE - We chose Molly. That entry had it all. “Wow factor”, charm, originality, and a real desire to wear Lucky Fiona collars. She tugged at the heartstrings but made us laugh at the same time. Cinderella got her glass slippers and Molly should get her Lucky Fiona Collars to make her shine like the star she is.
2nd PLACE – We chose Prank for all the reasons that we listed earlier. That entry made this girl a very close runner up.
3rd PLACE – We chose Wally. Again for reason’s listed earlier he was a top contender to win it all. He certainly has it all!
Mrs. X and I want to thank you Shannon for asking us to participate in this contest. We truly feel honored and we hope all of the entries know how difficult it was to choose a winner.
Sincerely,
Mr. X
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