TulsaPets Magazine January 2021

22 TulsaPets • January/February 2021 CUTEST PET CONTEST T ulsa County Bar Asso- ciation’s Animal Law Committee recently hosted a Cutest Pet Contest to benefit “Lawyers Against Pawverty,” a yearly fundrais- ing effort. Proceeds benefit a worthwhile local organization that positively impacts both animals and people. This year’s proceeds went to Pause4Paws Inc., a local nonprofit that provides short-term emergency foster care for pets of individuals impacted by homelessness, mental illness or addiction, who need urgent medical care but do not want to abandon their pets. And The Winner Is Top winners of the Cutest Pet Contest were divided into dog and cat categories. Cutest Dog winner was Chance, whose parents are Allen and Carol Pease. Sasha Grace, whose mom is Vicky Bene- dict, won Cutest Cat. While there could only be two win- ners, the other contestants earned honorable mentions and fun titles, such as “Best Resting Pounce Face.” Attorney Katy Inhofe of the TCBA says a photogra- phy fundraiser was an ideal way for members of the legal community to support a worthy cause and receive professional photos of their pets at an amazing price. “Pets in the legal community could then compete in the Cutest Pet Contest,” Inhofe explains. “People outside the legal community could also get their pets’ photos taken for the same price to benefit Lawyers Against Pawverty, but those pets were not eligible for the contest.” Participants scheduled their photo sessions with Studio D, which was especially accom- modating amid the challenges of the pandemic. “Studio D was fantastic!” Inhofe says. “They did all of the photos and extended the event for us, so it lasted throughout the month of October. That was particu- larly helpful in these crazy times when many lawyers are trying to keep up their law practices, learning how to conduct hearings and trials online, balancing kids’ school, and juggling all the pandemic challenges we’re all facing.” The Cutest Pet Contest was the Animal Law Committee’s fourth annual Lawyers Against Pawverty fundraiser. “For our first two years, we chose Feeding the Pets of Tulsa’s Homeless,” Inhofe says. “We heard about what they were doing and asked them to come talk to our committee. We loved their work and how it helped both people and pets in need. We chose them as our beneficiary in 2017 and again in 2018. “In 2019 and 2020, the committee chose Pause- 4Paws as the Lawyers Against Pawverty beneficiary. I’m a founder and board president of Pause4Paws. It was formed in April 2018. The friends from Feeding the Pets of Tulsa’s Homeless who I met through the Animal Law Committee were an incredible resource for Pause4Paws as it got started, and Pause4Paws still works with them today. Pause4Paws also focuses on helping people and pets in need.” The VOTES Are In Tulsa County Bar Association’s Animal Law Committee hosts Cutest Pet Contest benefiting Pause4Paws WRITTEN BY: Anna Holton-Dean CUTEST DOG Chance Owned by Allen and Carol Pease CUTEST CAT Sasha Grace Owned by Vicky Benedict