Voting in Everett's "pet mayor" fundraiser closes at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and the two organizations behind it are still chasing a $20,000 goal.
The Evergreen Arboretum and the Everett Animal Shelter launched the contest in July. Each dollar donated counts as a vote for a favorite four-legged or stuffed candidate. The campaign has raised about $12,600 so far, The Herald first reported Wednesday.
Until polls close, every dollar earns three votes instead of one, according to Renee Greenleaf, who helps run the arboretum near Legion Park in north Everett.
"It's been fun to say to people: In this election, you can cheat," Greenleaf told The Herald.
A few dozen pets are on the ballot, each with a photo and a campaign slogan on the contest website. Arthur the cat sports a medal fashioned from a cat food can lid and runs on "Fish in every dish!" A dog named Raisin promises "a treat in every bowl, a ball in every yard!" Pet owners have even posted campaign signs along a designated trail at the arboretum, with signs capped at 18-by-24 inches.
Three winners will be crowned: one dog mayor, one cat mayor and one "stuffie" mayor. Each gets a sash, a photo shoot, a pet-store goody bag and a one-year arboretum membership.
Proceeds will be split 50/50. The arboretum's half goes toward restoring the Japanese Maple Garden on the grounds at 145 Alverson Blvd. The shelter's half goes into its Fund for the Animals, which covers veterinary care, surgeries and vaccinations for shelter pets, according to Lindsay Roe, the shelter's development manager.
Roe said in a statement reported by The Herald on Wednesday that community support through events like the contest helps the shelter provide care for thousands of animals each year.
The event is free.
Winners will be announced Saturday, Oct. 17, between 10 a.m. and noon at the arboretum's Autumn Fest Family Fun Day. The celebration includes fall crafts, bulb planting and face painting. The Everett Animal Shelter will also bring adoptable pets for families to meet.
Voters can cast as many donation-votes as they want at gogophotocontest.com/petmayorsevergreenarboretum. Each entry to put a pet on the ballot costs $10.
