And, now, ladies and gentlemen . . . drumroll, please! Tonight’s Top Ten List is the winners of the Wallyhood Pet Motto Contest! Because we enjoyed so many of them, Rita has awarded Honorable Mentions in the following ten categories (in no particular order), with prizes going to First Place and Runner Up:
- Most canine-centric: My little canine scruffball’s (Rosie) motto is: “Now that you are paying for pet insurance, you have assured that nothing will happen to me.” – Karen. And, My rottenweiler, Woody’s, motto is “It’s all about me, by the way!” – Janey
- Most feng shui: My dog Jo’s Motto is “Pee not outside, but on the sleek and shiny hardwood floors!” – Morgan
- Sweetest: Kenny (cat) – “Live life full of love and attention. Wisdom is not necessary.” – Meridian
- Truest: My cat’s motto is: “Sleep, sleep~What is enough?” – Susan
- Most dog-like: Ziggy – the giant Bernese mountain dog – motto would have to be “are you done with that doughnut yet?” – Harley
- Best nickname: My dog Charli Jo’s nickname is Captain Underfoot and her motto has to be, “if you’re not close, you’ll miss out!” – Angi
- Most musical: My old corgi’s theme song from his (surprisingly unproduced) Travel Channel show is “Shrimpy! He’s the funny little doggy with the great big dreams!” – Megan C.
- Most existential: Catkin, a black cat who adores sitting in the front window watching Wallingford pass by, motto is: “Here I am, now stroke me”. – Martha
- Most Cartesian: Levi the loving labradoodle’s motto is “I chase the ball, therefore I am” – Judy. And, Our dog’s motto is: I have not a tail, therefore, I wag my body! – Paula R.
- Nike’s alternate motto: My family of Australian Shepherds motto over the years has been simply “Let’s go!” – Linda K.
Runner Up: Mimi, the crazy Siamese-calico mix cat’s motto is: Must zoom, must leap, must scratch, must cuddle. Sorry, must sleep! – Janey. Janey and Mimi win a gift certificate generously donated by the Wally Pets shop on Wallingford Ave. south of 45th. Mimi is sure to find something to indulge herself with at Wally Pets! (Clearly, “must check email” should be part of that list – Photo by Janey).
First Prize: Our cat Molly: “To boldly go everywhere you don’t want me to… repeatedly.” – FreGirl. FreGirl and Molly also win a gift certificate from Wally Pets in addition to an autographed copy of The Cat with the Golden Fang. Congratulations! Molly, whose full name is Molly Ivins, reacted to her win by saying “Is it a toy? Can I eat it?”. 
To get your own copy of The Cat with the Golden Fang, head over to Not A Number on Wednesday, June 2nd, the night of the Farmers Market and Art Walk, from 6-7:30 where Rita will be doing a signing alongside Council member Nick Licata signing his own book (and you can have a little chat with Nick about those City Council issues on your mind). It is also for sale at Kids on 45th, Wally Pets and Elliott Bay Books. 10% of purchases by Wallingford residents will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club or the Chamber of Commerce.
Thanks to all the awesome pets of Wallingford and their support staff (oh, sorry, I meant owners) who entered and gave us some good laughs. If you weren’t one of the winners, take heart in the fact that science has proven that pet owners live longer, are happier and better-looking than other people.