Be responsible – and vote

By Shaun Inguanzo
NOBLE PARK residents will decide the winner of a competition designed to slash the number of dumped dogs in the future.
Ian Street dog supplies store, Puppy Planet, this week appealed for residents to vote for a winner in its Responsible Pet Ownership competition.
Puppy Planet manager Wiyada Funtusoff said Noble Park Primary School Grade 5 and 6 students drew scenes depicting an act of responsible pet ownership on A4 paper for the competition.
Ms Funtusoff said Puppy Planet was targeting young children to breed a more responsible pet ownership ethic for the future.
“We are trying to promote to young members of our community the need to care for puppies and adult dogs,” she said.
“We hope that as a result we will help to reduce the number of dogs being dumped, or who end up lost and unable to find their owner because they were not looked after.”
Ms Funtusoff said examples of the responsible pet ownership scenes students had drawn included feeding dogs, and supplying clean water.
Puppy Planet and the City of Greater Dandenong’s residential amenities officer Nick Haviaridis selected the final 20 entrants.
Those drawings have been posted on the Puppy Planet shopfront window for people to view, and then vote for.
“We want people to come to the shop and vote for their favourite drawing,” Ms Funtusoff said.
The winner will be announced at a small ceremony at the shop at 11am on Saturday 23 June, with Noble Park councillor Pinar Yesil to present the winner with a prize.
To vote and help promote responsible pet ownership, head to Puppy Planet, 4 Ian Street, Noble Park.