ESCANABA — The Daily Press is seeking more entries for Pet Idol, a contest that challenges the community to vote for the cutest animal from a selection of photos submitted by readers. Money raised by submissions and votes supports Newspapers in Education (NIE), which provides local schools with newspapers to use as teaching tools.

It costs five dollars to enter into the contest a candidate furry, scaly, slimy or otherwise. According to contest rules, the person submitting the entry must be the pet’s owner or have permission from the pet’s owner. Entries are accepted until June 30.

To be eligible for consideration, a submission must include along with the entry form a photograph depicting only one pet and no people. The minimum size is three inches by three inches; poor quality photos may not be accepted.

So far, submissions received are mostly canine, with only one cat.

“It’d be really cool to get a horse, or a lizard, or a hamster,” said Daily Press Publisher Sarah Greenlund.

In past years, dogs and cats have mostly dominated Pet Idol. But rules do not bar other types of companionable critters, like snakes, pigs, fish and pet rocks. In 2014, a hedgehog named Quillie Nelson was a contestant, as were Cottin Pickin Pepper the horse in 2013 and Paddy Boy the rabbit in 2012.

Once voting begins on July 7, with each vote costing 50 cents, the first round will be to whittle the list down to ten finalists. Round two will elect one winner to stand as the Pet Idol mascot.

The winner will become the star of a feature article published in the Daily Press, composed by one of the local newspaper’s staff writers. The pet will also periodically appear as the face of Newspapers in Education (NIE) for the next year.

NIE is a program implemented in multiple areas and even multiple countries, including New Zealand and the United Kingdom. By supplying newspapers to schools, the program aims to boost youth media literacy and current event knowledge.

Last year’s winner of the Daily Press Pet Idol and the 2024 to 2025 mascot was Rip, a goldendoodle owned by Joni and Dan Smith.