Voting Now Open For The DogTime 2012 Pet Blog Awards

The Petties is the largest annual pet blog awards program on the Internet, with nearly 10,000 nominations and $30,000 in awards.  Often referred to as the "Oscars of the pet blog community", this year's Petties are expected to receive close to 100,000 votes.

"This is the largest and most diverse group of nominees that we have seen at the Petties," said Leslie Smith, Editor-in-Chief of DogTime and host of the Petties awards ceremony. "It's great that we are able to introduce these wonderful bloggers to a larger audience of pet lovers so they can share their love of animals, their sense of humor, and their commitment to making this world a better place for dogs and cats."

Finalists for the 2012 DogTime Pet Blog Awards are:

Best Dog Blog:
The Alpha Dog Blog
The Dogs
Oh My Dog!
Preston Speaks

Best Cat Blog:
Conscious Cat
Covered in Cat Hair
Cat Food Breath
Cat Wisdom 101

Best Cause-Related Blog:
Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary
Black & Orange Cat Foundation
Rumpydog
Animal Shelter Volunteer Life

Best Designed Blog:
Zee & Zoey
Pawcurious
Taildom
Ammo the Dachshund

Best Individual Blog Post:
Sparklecat - Clawing Down Cat Myths
The Tiniest Tiger's Conservation Cub Club - Cat Obituary: Farewell Eastern Cougar
Glogirly - Framed
Zee and Zoey - The Controversy of Pedigree Cat Breeding

Best Use of Social Media Blog:
Catsparella
DogTipper
Pet Blogs United
This One Wildlife

Funniest Pet Blog:
Catladyland
Daisy the Curly Cat
Your Daily Cute
Floppy Tongue Joy

Best Video Post Blog:
Dogster - The Dog Show: Who's Your Mama
NEBCR Fosters Dog Blog - How Many Border Collies in a Year
Pets Add Life Blog - Talking Animals and Pets Add Life
Life With Dogs - The Saturday Pet Blogger Hop: Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Best Product Review Blog:
Moderncat
Thoughts Fur Paws
Fun Stuff for Dogs
Dog milk

Best Overall Pet Blog:
Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary
Conscious Cat
Pet Health Care Gazette
My Pet Rescue Blog

Voting for the finalists is now open through July 29th, 2012. Winners will be announced in an online ceremony broadcast at http://petties.dogtime.com on Friday, September 7, 2012 at 3pm PST. Each winning blogger will be awarded with a $1,000 donation to the non-profit animal shelter or rescue of their choice, along with a custom "Petties" award, a "Petties Winner" badge for their blog site, a valuable package of editorial coverage across the DogTime Media community and a host of social media traffic driving opportunities.

$10,000 Shelter Donation
This year's nominations ballot included an opportunity for the community to vote for a non-profit animal shelter to receive a $10,000 donation from DogTime Media. The wining shelter will be announced later this week.

Shelter Volunteer of the Year Award
Also, starting July 23, 2012 DogTime's Petties will open nominations for the DogTime Media Shelter Volunteer of the Year award. This award is to honor one of the many unsung heroes whose dedication to the animal community has helped save countless homeless dogs and cats. The winner will be chosen by DogTime Media and will be announced at the Petties Award Ceremony in September. The winner receives a Petties trophy and a $10,000 donation from DogTime Media to the non-profit 501c3 rescue/shelter of their choice.

"Each year I am more impressed by the dedication of the blog community, their support of one another, and their commitment to improving the lives of animals in need," said Simon Tonner, President of DogTime Media. "They can all be proud when they see the faces of the dogs and cats that are helped by the donations that are such a core part of the Petties award program."

For more information and/or nominate a blogger, go to http://petties.dogtime.com.

About DogTime Media:
DogTime Media is the largest vertical media community focused exclusively on pet owners and the 50 billion dollar annual pet market. DogTime Media reaches 50.1 million monthly users via its community of 525 leading pet-focused websites, 565 pet bloggers and more than 3,000 rescue groups, anchored by its own DogTime.com and CatTime.com.

DogTime Media actively supports the efforts of rescue groups and shelters nationwide to significantly reduce the number of homeless and neglected pets in the country by providing authoritative advice to both novice and experienced pet guardians. DogTime Media has donated over $275,000 to pet related causes via its Save a Dog and Save a Cat Facebook applications, monthly grants and a variety of other programs. Privately held DogTime Media is based in San Francisco, Calif.

Media Contacts:
DogTime Media
Christina Kwan
(415) 830-9323
[email protected]         

SOURCE DogTime Media