2020 TOMATO POOCH VIRTUAL PAGEANT !!

As most of you know, Copiah Animal Shelter’s biggest in-person fundraiser of the year, GALA 2020, had to be cancelled for Covid-19 Virus precautions. If you would have purchased a GALA ticket for $25 or reserved a  table for $250,  donated/purchased a silent auction item,  or bought raffle tickets for prizes,  then we ask you to make a donation in that amount or more if you can!  Visit  https://copiahanimalshelter.net/donate  OR  use the DONATE button at the bottom of this Pooch page.  Or mail in a donation:  Copiah Animal Shelter,  P.O. Box 366, Crystal Springs, MS  39059.  All from the safety and comfort of your home!

As we (Copiah Animal Shelter Volunteers) sat here, socially distanced, in this oppressive heat muddling over our unfortunate financial state in this current Virus situation, we found little to get excited about. Flights to tropical destinations have been cancelled, masks are required everywhere, weddings postponed until who knows when.  CAS Volunteers decided we needed something fun, something to bring smiles and happiness and generate funds for Copiah Animal Shelter to continue to care for our animals.  The idea of the Tomato Pooch Virtual Pageant was born.

2020 Copiah Animal Shelter's first ever Tomato Pooch Virtual Pageant !! 

(Dogs only. Sorry, cats.  We know the contest has CATegories and we love you, but walking a cat on a leash in a parade could spell CATastrophe!)  

The TOMATO POOCH will be selected annually as part of the Crystal Springs, Mississippi Tomato Festival.  Pageant Category Winners can live anywhere but the POOCH needs to live in the local area to attend events.

SNAPSHOT:  (Details below)  Show off your amazing dog(s) by Registering, then Emailing one photo per dog per week to Copiah Animal Shelter for Weekly Pageant Categories!   A one-time $25 entry fee for EACH DOG provides access to ALL the Categories. Enter as many weekly categories as you like.  

The dog with the MOST LIKES on Copiah Animal Shelter Facebook and Instagram social media pages wins that Weekly Category and prizes!  The dog with the MOST OVERALL CAS SOCIAL MEDIA LIKES FOR THE ENTIRE CONTEST wins TOMATO POOCH TITLE! 

Note the last special Weekly Pageant Category,  Animal Advocate, is for the dog who raises the most money donations for Copiah Animal Shelter during the entire contest!  Anyone can donate anytime to vote for their favorite contestant! 

UPDATE:  The Copiah Animal Shelter TOMATO POOCH Winner may have to be  crowned virtually as the Crystal Springs, Mississippi Tomato Festival in-person event, rescheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2020, has now been cancelled for ongoing Virus concerns.  The winning TOMATO POOCH will be showcased on Copiah Animal Shelter Instagram and Facebook Pages, have their picture in the local papers, walk/ride in the Crystal Springs, Mississippi Christmas parade  and will be invited to all ribbon cuttings and official Crystal Springs City events when gatherings allow.

Weekly Category Winners are determined by the dog with the MOST LIKES on Copiah Animal Shelter’s social media Pages.  *** 2020 Tomato Pooch Pageant Winner will be the local contestant that receives the most CAS social media LIKES in all combined categories for the entire contest! ***

--  https://facebook.com/copiahanimalshelter 

--  https://instagram.com/copiahanimalshelter

Categories include:

• August  3 - 8:   Mr./Miss Congeniality:  Picture/video showing your pet being nice to the mailman, or to a hamster friend, cat, bunny, etc. Please no videos longer than 20 seconds.

• August  10 - 15:   Mr./Miss Beach Body:  Show off your pet in their most alluring swimsuit picture.

• August  17 - 22:   Mr./Miss Parks and Recreation:  These pics would have our beautiful Chautauqua Park as its backdrop.

• August  24 - 29:   Mr./Miss Chamber of Commerce:  These pics would showcase your pet at one of our local businesses.

• August  31 - September 4:   Mr./Miss Talented:  Send us a video or pic of your pet’s talent.

• September  7 - 12:   Mr./Miss Animal Advocate:  The winner of this category is the pet that raises the most money for Copiah Animal Shelter in its name!  Make sure donations include the name of your pet!  (No photo submission for this category.)  Anyone can donate anytime  in the name of their favorite dog contestant and help them win Advocate!   Donate to Vote Online or can be mailed in, too,  if you allow plenty of time.

--  Donate Online:  here on the Tomato Pooch Page with the DONATE button at the bottom. 

--  Donate by Mail:  Copiah Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 366, Crystal Springs, MS  39059.  Donate to Vote for your favorite dog contestant and help them win the final  Category Animal Advocate! 

Once a participant’s entry fee is confirmed (details below), Copiah Animal Shelter will post contestants photos on our social media pages.  Voting each week begins on Monday and closes on Saturday night at 8pm (this is a change starting with Week 2).  Photos are accepted all week, but a late submission will limit the amount of LIKES you can generate.  Weekly category winners announced every Sunday.

Category Winners receive a $25 gift card, one of our newly designed Copiah Animal Shelter T-shirts, and a sash for your pet proclaiming their Title! 

After the final category winner is announced we will crunch the numbers to determine our final overall winner and announce our first ever Tomato Pooch! 

Does your pooch have what it takes?!! 

REGISTER now to enter your dog(s)!  

New registration/entries welcome anytime throughout the contest!

EMAIL  your dog’s photo entry to copiahanimalshelter@yahoo.com   

Please include the words “Tomato Pooch Pageant/ Category Name” in the email subject line! 

Please include: 

1.  your name

2.  dog’s name

3.  dog’s sex

4.  address

5.  attachment with any photo of  your pet for registration identification or one of your category photos. If you know how to overlay text on your photo with your dog's name, please do. Edit your photo/video entries filename to match your pet and your name if you can.   If not, that's okay just be sure to identify your pet clearly in email!  

6.  Use the DONATE button at the bottom of the Tomato Pooch Page to pay the one-time $25 entry fee per dog.  It is very important to include the NAME of your dog entry in the notes section of the donate form so CAS can match to your emailed photo!  The one-time $25 entry fee covers ALL the categories - enter as many as you choose.

When all of this is completed you will receive a confirmation of your registration from Copiah Animal Shelter.

The rest is simple!  Every week email one picture of your named pup to CAS that matches that week’s category.  copiahanimalshelter@yahoo.com.  If you know how to overlay text on your photo with your dog's name, please do. Edit the photo's file name with your name and dog's name, too, if you can.   If not, that's okay,  just be sure to identify your pet clearly in email!  Enter as many weekly categories as you choose.

You may also send pics for multiple categories at once just make sure to carefully identify them for us.  Rally all your friends and family, even strangers! to LIKE your pet’s entries on CAS social media pages and DONATE!!  Your pet may win the last category, the Animal Advocate who raises the most donations to help the animals at Copiah Animal Shelter!

Copiah Animal Shelter can’t wait to see your amazing dogs, spread smiles and fun, enjoy friendly competition, and meet the 2020 Tomato Pooch Winner! 

And thank you for donating to help the animals at CAS!

#tomatopooch 

@copiahanimalshelter

Questions?  Email CAS: copiahanimalshelter@yahoo.com