The Dog Days of Summer have just about everybody sluggish and slow. And these 40 Days of Misery could also have a potential effect on the animal population.

Donna Brockmann, president of the Humane Society of Pike County, said voting is slow, very slow, in the humane society’s 2017 Pet Photo Contest that will end at 5 p.m. Saturday.

“I’m not sure of the reason that voting is so slow,” Brockmann said. “There’s a lot going on in the county with city elections coming up on Tuesday. School is just starting back. I just don’t know.”

But what Brockmann does know is that the dollars raised by the humane society’s annual Pet Photo Contest fund the society’s spay/neuter program.

“The more money we raise for our spay/neuter program, the fewer abused, abandoned and neglected dogs and cats there will be in Pike County,” Brockman said.

The Humane Society of Pike County’s most recent spay/neuter program supported 200 plus procedures.

“Having animals spayed and neutered is extremely important to the control of the unwanted animal population,” she said. “The humane society’s spay/neuter program is open to all residents of Pike County and Troy University.

We pay $50 on each spay/neuter procedure as far as the money goes. The success of our Pet Photo Contest determines what we can do to assist Pike County residents in having their dogs and cats spayed or neutered.”

Brockmann said there at 82 entries in the 2017 Pet Photo Contest.

“And, if you go to Troy Antiques on the square in downtown Troy and see the pictures of all the cute ‘contestants’ in the window, you’ll just have to vote,” she said. “The votes are only one dollar each so choose your favorite pet and vote, vote, vote.

The entries in the 2017 Pet Photo Contest may be viewed online at www.pikehumane.org and as well as in the window of Troy Antiques.

“Choose one, two or more pets that you would like to see on the cover of the 2017 Pet Photo Calendar and vote,” Brockmann said. “You can vote online by using Pay Pal or your debit or credit card. You can vote on site at The Little Framery, Troy Antiques and Guynn’s Tax and Bookkeeping Service in Troy and at Hillside Antiques on Highway 231 south of Troy. Cash is accepted.