Grand Prize Winners
Congratulations to the following winners, selected by our judging panel. It was a hard decision, as there were so many amazing pets to choose from, but these were our top favorites! Thanks to everyone who entered.
Each of these winners will:
- be featured on a future BISSELL product package starting around August/September (products listed below)
- receive their choice of four BISSELL pet products
- choose their favorite pet cause for us to award the donation in their name!
Grand Prize Winner:
Norman of Columbus, OH
$10,000 Donation
Grand prize winner, Norman, is from Columbus, Ohio. Though only two years old, Norman serves a fundamental role for his community, acting as a breeder for a local service dog program – 4 Paws For Ability. His puppies are raised to help people with a multitude of disabilities, and Norman’s “foster pet parent,” Tara Driscoll, plans to use the $10,000 prize toward the cost of a seizure dog to assist two special needs children in her community. Tara, a substitute teacher in the local school system, taught the pair of brothers at their preschool, and has remained in touch with the family as they’ve grown. Now ages seven and nine, the boys have been in need of a seizure dog for several years, but the cost of their medication has hindered them from obtaining one. Thanks to Tara, who raises Norman on behalf of 4 Paws For Ability, and Norman, they’ll have an additional four paws to assist them! Norman will be featured on the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser® Upright Vacuum.
Video of Norman's Photo Shoot:
2nd Place:
Kiely of Morris, NY
$5,000 donation
Second prize winner, Kiely, is a two-year-old Border Collie mix, rescued at three months from a local shelter. Living with her owners, John Andersen and Lillie Goodrich in Morris, NY, Kiely’s family includes 17 other Border Collies or Border Collie mixes – all rescues from Glen Highland Farm, a non-profit Border Collie rescue facility that has succeeded in placing 1,100 dogs in new homes. Kiely’s prize includes a $5,000 donation to Glen Highland Farm and a starring role on the packaging for BISSELL’s Pet Hair Eraser Hand Vacuum.
3rd Place:
Baloo of Town and Country, MO
$1,000 donation
Baloo, a support therapy dog from Town and Country, Mo. won third prize in the MVP Contest, upstaging the other animals in his “family” -- three cats, one bearded dragon and two birds. Baloo’s owner, Laura Baer, describes him as “kind, gentle, smart and very protective”, and his favorite activity is patrolling the Baer family’s garden. In Laura’s words, “[i]t’s been a good day if you’ve kicked the soccer ball with him and told him that his deer friends are back in his yard.” Baloo’s prize of $1,000 will be donated to the Suncoast Humane Society, a non-profit that aims to reduce the number of homeless animals and improve the quality of human and animal life through their companionship. He will be featured on the ProHeat 2X Pet deep cleaner package.
4th Place:
Bailey of Canandaigua, NY
$1,000 donation
Canandaigua, NY pet, Bailey was awarded fourth place in the MVP contest. Bailey’s “mother,” Stacy Brocket, adopted him from the National English Shepherd Rescue (NESR), the same organization to which his $1,000 prize will be donated to assist in placing rescued English Shepherds in new homes. Bailey spends five days a week with the residents at Clifton Springs Nursing Home. He lives with a bevy of animal friends -- including a Labrador, a hamster, a cat, various reptiles, horses and the occasional goat – along with Stacy, her husband and daughters. Bailey will be featured on the Lift-Off Multi-Cyclonic Pet vacuum.
5th Place:
Gabby of South Euclid, OH
$1,000 donation
Gabby is a domestic long-haired cat – one of three living with owners Nicole Pontius and Adam in South Euclid, Ohio. She was adopted from the Toledo Area Humane Society in 2005 and received her name from her love of ‘talking.’ Her favorite pastime is playing with her ‘Cat Dancer’ toy which she chases in circles – known to her family as “the Gabby 500.” Gabby’s $1,000 prize will be donated to PetFix Northeast Ohio, an organization dedicated to ending pet overpopulation in the region by promoting the importance of spay/neuter and making such surgeries affordable and accessible. She will be featured on the packaging for the BISSELL SpotBot® Pet.