Burn Ban in Effect. All outdoor burning is prohibited in Franklin County.
The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 4th Annual Cutest Dog Contest on Saturday, October 10, during the Key Club’s 51st Annual CountryFest in downtown Mount Vernon.
This year’s contest welcomed 13 dogs, with community members casting votes both online and in person for $1 per vote. Proceeds benefit PAWS of Franklin County Texas & the Franklin County Chamber Service Scholarship Fund.
* Social Star Award: Luke, who also earned recognition through the contest’s Facebook photo reaction competition.
One of the highlights of this year’s contest was the opportunity for community members to sponsor dogs currently housed at the Mount Vernon Animal Shelter.
Of the 10 dogs registered online before CountryFest, four were shelter dogs sponsored by individuals in the community.
The Chamber also brought photographs and information about additional shelter dogs still awaiting sponsorship and adoption to its CountryFest booth. As visitors stopped to vote for their favorite contestants, our 2025 Miss Mount Vernon Royalty shared the shelter dogs’ stories and explained how a $30 sponsorship would allow each dog to participate.
By the end of the day, three additional shelter dogs had received sponsorships and were entered into the contest, bringing the total to 13 contestants, including seven sponsored shelter dogs.
Beyond the friendly competition, the contest provided an opportunity to bring awareness to local shelter dogs still searching for loving homes.
The Cutest Dog Contest continues a fundraising tradition established by the Miss Mount Vernon Royalty four years ago to support the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Service Scholarship Fund. Each year, the newly crowned royalty takes on the responsibility of continuing this effort, helping raise funds for scholarships awarded to local graduating seniors.
The Chamber appreciates our 2025 Miss Mount Vernon Royalty for carrying on this tradition and representing the organization throughout this year’s contest.
A special thank-you goes to Michelle Hoover, who generously helped manage the contest booth while the royalty fulfilled their other CountryFest responsibilities.
We also appreciate Kassidy Wesson for her assistance coordinating the shelter dog sponsorship opportunities and helping us include these deserving dogs in this year’s contest.
Thank you to every dog owner who entered, every individual who sponsored a shelter dog, and everyone who cast votes to support this year’s event.
The Chamber also extends its appreciation to the Mount Vernon Key Club and all of its members and volunteers for their continued dedication to organizing CountryFest and bringing our community together for this wonderful annual tradition.
