The Georgia Department of Agriculture invites Georgians to participate in its Dog and Cat License Plate art contest.
As part of a funding initiative for the Dog and Cat Sterilization Program (DCSP), the contest will determine a design for a new license plate to benefit the program.
To submit designs, participants should adhere to the following guidelines. Complete rules are available at www.agr.georgia.gov:
• Art should be designed in vertical (portrait) format, no larger than 11x 14 inches.
• Art must be cat oriented
• Art should be submitted in color pencil, watercolor, acrylic or other medium and should be temporarily attached to artist presentation board.
• Participants may use multiple media, but in four colors only
• Submitted art must be postmarked by August 5, 2008 for consideration
• Submit art via USPS, UPS or FedEx, (personally-delivered art not accepted) to:
“Cat Artwork”
c/o Georgia Department of Agriculture
19 Martin Luther King Jr. SW, Room 106
Atlanta, GA 30334
All art becomes property of the Georgia Department of Agriculture
A panel of judges will determine the top six submissions, which will be posted on the Department’s Web site. Georgians will then vote on their favorite. The artist whose design receives the most votes will be awarded $2,500.
The winning art will be featured on the new Cat License Plate, which will be sold in addition to the current designs beginning in December. The Dog and Cat License Plates currently are the primary funding source for the Dog and Cat Sterilization Program (DCSP). This innovative program provides subsidies for spay/neuter procedures performed by licensed and accredited veterinarians in all Georgia counties.
Since this program receives no state monies, it depends on public and private donations to perform its vital mission of curbing pet overpopulation in Georgia.
Unlike other spay/neuter programs, the Dog and Cat Sterilization Program has no participation income requirements. Any Georgia resident may benefit from the program. Interested residents should contact their local veterinarians to confirm program participation or call the department at (404) 656-3667.
Georgians may support the program now by purchasing a current Dog and Cat License Plate for their vehicles. These commemorative license plates are available at county tag offices throughout Georgia for a $25 one-time fee. More than $22 from each license plate sold directly benefits the DCSP. These funds are allocated only for spay/neuter procedures and educational outreach on this healthy choice.
Since January 2008, more than $198,000 has been earned through sales of Dog and Cat “Buddy” license plates, donations to the program’s state income tax checkoff and direct donations.
“The success of our Dog and Cat Sterilization Program is due to the support of our fellow Georgians. With their help, we have been able to make an impact on the health of our four-legged friends,” said state Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin.
Since its inception in November 2003, the program has distributed more than $1,886,345 statewide to subsidize 35,764 spay/neuter procedures performed by 751 licensed veterinarians. Residents in every Georgia county have benefited from this program.
Irvin added that getting the word out about the program is “key to informing our citizens of the benefits of spaying and neutering their cats and dogs.”
Georgians may also contribute to the DCSP in honor or memory of a loved one.
Contributions are 100 percent tax-deductible and provide much-needed funding to promote critical spay/neuter efforts.
