Posted: June 1, 2009, 6:30 p.m. EDT
American Pet Products Association (APPA) is the leading not-for-profit trade association serving the interests of the pet products industry since 1958. APPA President Bob Vetere announced the five winning poems for the association's first National Children's Pet Poetry Contest.
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.
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.
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.
Here is one of the winning poems about a budgie:
Dana, Age 9, Nevada
Chubs
My bird's name is Chubs
He takes baths in tubs
He's ever so quick
And he sits on a stick
He has a friend named Flutter
She doesn't like butter
Chubs is so fat
And he's scared of my cat
Chubs lives in a cage
But he doesn't eat sage
We think he's a boy
He has fun with his toy
It has a bell
And he thinks it's swell
Chubs is a parakeet
And he is ever so sweet
Chubs is important to me
As you can see
That I love him
And he loves me
To see other pet poems submitted, visit www.petsaddlife.org