Top Dogs Awarded for 2023
Learn more about Dog Licenses here!
Auditor Awards Top Dog in Ashtabula County for 2023
Andover- Move over Clifford, Walter and Maya are this year’s top dogs for Ashtabula County! County Auditor David Thomas travelled to Andover and Conneaut to award these top honors to the pup’s owners, Juniper and Isabella after they were selected from submitted essays during Dog License season. The Auditor’s Office held their second annual contest this year to award Top Dog and help spread the word for the need to get dogs licensed.
“We want to congratulate Juniper and Isabella on their essays sharing their love for their furry friends,” said Auditor Thomas. “Our staff enjoyed reading over all the submissions and picked their top choices for the honor.”
Thomas contacted county schools in December to share the opportunity with area fourth and fifth grade students to write a brief essay answering the question of why their dog was the top dog in Ashtabula County. The Auditor’s Office received in submissions with some students talking about their current dogs and others reflecting on deceased pets.
Pymatuning Valley 5th grader Juniper wrote about her dog Walter, a one year old wire haired dachshund. Her stories of Walter’s antics stealing clothing or swimming with the family while kayaking won over the judges as they imagined a playful pet. She wrote that he even plays nice with their family cats, “he teaches them new tricks like chewing things up and how to chew and unwrap Christmas presents.”
Conneaut 5th grade student Isabella took a slightly different approach. Instead of writing about her family’s husky dog, she shared all of the great things about her grandmother’s shepard doodle Maya. “Shepard doodles are very loveable and like to cuddle with you,” Isabella wrote.
“We love this contest because it gives students the opportunity to express their creativity and work on school skills,” shared Auditor Thomas. “I love see the smile on kids’ faces while talking about their dog. Which is why we also focus so much on the importance of dog licenses.”
Juniper and Isabella got a visit from Auditor Thomas and Office Manager Sue Belden on Friday at their schools where they were presented a gift card and a certificate for a dog license paid for by Auditor Thomas. Juniper spoke in front of her class briefly about Walter, who had joined Thomas for the visit.
Thomas thanked the students for helping to promote dog licenses and information for the program. All dogs three-months-old or older must register or renew their license each year between December 1 and January 31. Licenses alert the Dog Warden of official ownership and the owner’s contact information if a dog becomes lost or a concern arises. These fees help with shelter costs and Dog Warden funds.
Licenses are $12 for a one-year tag and can be purchased at the Auditor’s Office, online at the Auditor’s Website, or at one of the convenient community partners.
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