GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- There's one less thing to worry about at the county Animal Control Department shelter -- putting food in the dog dishes.
Dog food company Pedigree announced today, May 16, that the county has won an online competition, a victory that comes with
.
Three shelters in the state -- the Michigan Animal Rescue League in Pontiac, Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter and Genesee County Animal Control -- were partners in the Facebook competition, and each get the dog food prize.
"We couldn't have done it with the support of the community," said Walt Rodabaugh, chief officer of Animal Control. "They (Pedigree representatives) have come down and gone through the whole shelter and calculated out how much they will be delivering."
The free food is a boon to the county, which has cut back in funding for the shelter for several years, and which last year spent more than $10,000 feeding puppies.
A Pedigree spokeswoman said the first dog food shipment is expected to arrive at the shelter next month and will continue for 12 months.
"Dog lovers have spoken. Detroit/Flint, Mi., and Erie, Pa.: Welcome to the pack," the Pedigree Facebook site read Thursday, May 16.
Other cities in the competition were Wasusau, Wis.; Jackson, Miss.; and Jacksonville, Fla.
Voting started on Facebook March 28 and each account was allowed one vote per day. Winners were determined based on votes received and "Pedigree's determination of which community could benefit from the program the most," according to rules for the competition.
"There are numerous shelters and rescue groups in Detroit and Flint dedicated to helping dogs get off the streets and into loving homes. But with the Detroit area facing financial difficulties, resources in the community are incredibly limited," the Pedigree Facebook page said in describing the Detroit/Flint campaign.
Rodabaugh said shelter officials noticed the competition for food being promoted on a pet adoption Web site in 2012.
"When I came here a year ago this came out," he said. "It's something the shelter hadn't done before, (but) I