Posted: July 2, 2009, 6:15 p.m. EDT
The American Pet Products Association (APPA) concluded its first National Children's Pet Poetry Contest. On June 30, 2009, five winners were announced by Bob Vetere, president of the APPA. Through APPA’s Pets Add Life campaign, 3rd grade students from across the country were invited to write a unique poem about a special pet in their life.
Manju, an 8-year-old from California, wrote about a hamster. The poem includes the lines, "Wake up hamster, wake up now. Drink from your bottle, I know you know how."
Poems were judged on creativity, clarity, voice and the child's ability to reinforce the message of the joys and benefits of pet ownership. The panel of judges consisted of teachers, pet journalists and the APPA.
The winners received pet products and a “by-line” in a nationally circulated publication. In addition, each winning student's classroom received a $1,000 scholarship to spend on pet-related education.
Manju's entire poem and the other winning poems are on the Pets Add Life website.