Bow WOW! Northern Virginia Dog Blog Announces $2500 Charity Contest

Online, August 25, 2010 (Newswire.com) - (Fairfax, VA) Do you know of a deserving local charity working to promote responsible dog ownership and care for neglected animals? Do the staff and volunteers there have big hearts, big goals, and small budgets?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then let those hard working dog lovers know they should visit http://www.northern-virginia-dog-blog.com/essay-contest/ -- where they can register to compete for no-strings-attached grants of up to $1,500. Winning groups can use the much-needed funds for, veterinary care, spaying and neutering, dog food, waste disposal or any other legitimate activity.

To compete, groups must submit a 400 word essay on the subject of "The Joys and Responsibilities of Dog Ownership" by midnight on September 10th. Virginia residents will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite essays between September 20th and October 1. Competing groups are encouraged to mobilize their supporters to vote on their behalf!

"The Northern Virginia Dog Blog celebrates the joys of owning a dog," said blogger Susan McCullough, author of Housetraining for Dummies and related books. "Our contest is an opportunity for dog lovers to come together to help some great causes."

"Owning a dog is a big responsibility," said Laura Grape, who chairs the Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners project, which underwrites the effort. "The contest is a vehicle to encourage area residents to keep dog waste out of area streams, and do it in a fun way."

Northern Virginia dog charities may enter the contest. The sponsors define these organizations as those currently registered as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organizations, which promote the welfare of dogs and, promote responsible pet ownership, especially the proper disposal of dog waste, and are based in and operate primarily within the city of Alexandria, Arlington County, the city of Fairfax, the city of Falls Church, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Stafford County, the town of Dumfries, the town of Herndon, the town of Leesburg, or the town of Vienna.

To enter the contest, visit http://www.northern-virginia-dog-blog.com/essay-contest/ and follow directions to register and submit your essay.

Any Virginia resident aged 18 or older may vote for the charity of their choice between September 20, 2010 and October 1, 2010.

Contact
Laura Grape
Northern Virginia Regional Commission
703.642.4625
lgrape@novaregion.org

Eric Eckl
Water Words That Work, LLC
703.829.6732
eric.eckl@waterwordsthatwork.com

The Northern Virginia Dog Blog is your source for K9 fun, information, and entertainment in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission sponsors the Dog Blog on behalf of its member jurisdictions in Northern Virginia. Our goal with this blog is provide an informal channel for an informal discussion with our citizens about dogs in our communities. Last but not least, we want to encourage you to be a good neighbor and pick up after your dog, both on and off your property!

The Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners is a project of local governments in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC. The partners encourage local residents to do their part to reduce water pollution by adopting environmentally behaviors -- such as proper disposal of pet waste. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission, a political subdivision within the Commonwealth of Virginia, chairs the partnership.

Water Words That Work, LLC is a boutique environmental communications and marketing agency. We help our clients modernize and professionalize their pollution prevention, fundraising, and issue advocacy campaigns. Our clients include the National Park Service, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, American Rivers, the Ohio Environmental Coalition, Save Georgia's Coast, and many other nature protection and pollution control organizations.
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