A wooden box and converted coffee cans are in the front office of the Daily Press, ready to receive 50-cent votes. Each slot bears a number and a photo of one animal in the Pet Idol contest. (Daily Press)

ESCANABA — The annual contest to choose a local pet as the mascot of Newspapers in Education (NIE) will soon begin the voting phase. Today is the last day to submit entries for Pet Idol, which is a fundraiser for both NIE and the Delta Animal Shelter.

Accepted throughout the month of June, entries cost $5 and must include a photograph of one animal only, its name, the owner’s name, a phone number and address. If sponsored by a local business, that info is needed also, and Publisher Sarah Greenlund (fka Maki) encourages incorporating company swag in the submitted photo.

The winning critter will be determined by public votes, which cost 50 cents each and are unlimited. At the end of July, the pet with the most votes will secure the honor to appear on NIE material over the next year and become the subject of a front-page feature article in the Daily Press.

As of Monday, 45 entries had been received — more than twice the 22 entered last year. However, all of the 2026 entries are cats and dogs.

For any last-minute submissions, please direct entries to smaki@dailypress.net. There is a five-dollar charge to enter a pet; the fee may be paid by cash, check or card.

Votes will be accepted through the month of July at the Daily Press office at 600 Ludington Street in Escanaba.