Westminster's Cutest Pet Contest helps neighbors in need: How you can participate

Whether your furry friend purrs or wags its tail, it's time to find out which cat and dog is officially the most charming in Westminster.

The organizers of Neighbors Helping Neighbors , an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization aimed at providing assistance to local families facing financial difficulties due to tragedy, have announced the return of Westminster Town Benefit Day's Cutest Pet Contest.

The judges will be looking for cats that can steal hearts with their playful antics and dogs that can charm with their puppy-dog eyes, according to Stephanie Lahitnen, vice president of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, who said the contest had been put on "paws" for the past several years.

"The idea of bringing back an online version of the contest was to drum up interest in Benefit Day, because that's our largest fundraising effort over the course of the year," said Lahtinen, who also serves as the town administrator. "So, we're always looking for new and exciting ways to raise money for the benefit fund."

How to enter your pet in the contest

The rules for entering your pet in the contest are simple. Click "Like" on the Westminster Neighbors Helping Neighbors Facebook page and go to here .

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Click the "Donate" page (there is a $5 entry fee) and follow prompts to the "Message" page. Type in your pet's name and upload a single 5 MB photo or smaller for each pet.

"If you have a cute cat or dog and photo of them, and you want to give us $5, those are the only requirements to enter the contest," Lahitnen send. "You don't have to be a Westminster resident."

Contest entries will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.

The winners of each category will receive a full outdoor pet photography session by Dog Days Photography, other "pawsome" prizes, plus a full year of barking or meowing rights for being named the cutest pet in town. Contest organizers will make sure their names will be known around the community.

"We're going to print out their pictures and put them on display for all of Benefit Day," Lahtinhen said.

The winners of each category will be announced on Sunday, Aug. 11, during Town Benefit Day on Academy Hill. This event will be livestreamed on the group's Givebutter page .

Neighbors Helping Neighbors founded in 1987

Neighbors Helping Neighbors was established in 1987 in response to a specific situation. Pete Giammalvo, a 27-year-old Westminster resident, was seriously injured in a diving accident. Friends, family, co-workers and residents organized a fundraising event that was held at the Westminster VFW.

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The success of this first event, in terms of raising money and bringing the community together to help a family in need, inspired people to continue helping families in crisis. Neighbors Helping Neighbors formally came into existence after this first event, resulting in a tax-exempt benefit fund called the Westminster Benefit Fund Inc.

"Instead of helping just one family, we offer assistance to any family or individual in Westminster who find themselves in a time of crisis," Lahtinen said. "We kind of fill the gap between state and federal aid, and because we're small we can be really flexible in the assistance we can provide."

Neighbors Helping Neighbors has helped more than 225 families from 1987 through the end of 2023 and has provided over a half million dollars to help them get through difficult times.

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Westminster's Cutest Pet Contest helps neighbors in need: How you can participate