Search begins for America's Purrfect Feline

(Washington, DC) Cats rule according to the estimated 77.6 million feline households in the USA and the search is on to find America’s Purrfect Feline (APF). The pageant created to determine America’s Cat. The competition is patterned after the well-known national pageants. The unique factor is that the contestants are not humans but felines!

The first phase of America’s Purrfect Feline allows cats from various neighborhoods across the nation to compete for local titles online and through mail entries. The owners of the felines will pay a nominal entry fee with a portion of the collected fees targeted for the administration of:

·America’s Purrfect Feline Veterinary Science Scholarship Program
·Designated Local Animal Shelters
·Pet Therapy Programs
·Spay and Neuter Programs
·Education Workshops for Children and Adults that target Abuse Preventative Methods

Washington, DC resident, Betty Hemby, created America’s Purrfect Feline. A feline fan since the age of 12, she has stories over the years about all of her cats beginning with her first cat Brad, a gold Persian followed by Leo and Cleo, Julia (pronounced with an ”H”), Charcoal, Cran and Berry, Mr. Goldberg, Dallas, Dexter, Mr. Peabody, and her current cat Pepper, a conservative Marble Tabby that enjoys watching the O’Reilly Factor and any one of his four favorite NFL teams, The Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Carolina Panthers.

She is the former President and Executive Director (volunteer) of the Miss District of Columbia Scholarship Organization, an official Miss America Preliminary. In addition she is a former local Miss America candidate and eighteen year volunteer with the Miss America Organization. She successfully petitioned and was awarded the state franchise for the Miss America Scholarship Program in the District of Columbia (program was dormant for 7 years due to mismanagement by the prior organizers). Ms. Hemby served one term on the Board of Trustees for the National Association of Miss America State Pageants (NAMASP). At the time of her eighteen-year involvement, The Miss America Organization represented the largest scholarship program for women.

She served as the Assistant Director for Guest Management for the National World War II Memorial Dedication. In this capacity she assisted in the planning, coordination and execution of the events for the National World War II Memorial Dedication, a major special event with nation-wide interest and participation.

Ms. Hemby enjoys community service and is motivated to be involved in events that will help and benefit the community. While residing on Capitol Hill (38 years) she lobbied local government officials and agencies to correct signage on neighborhood streets in order to eliminate ticketing and fines that were incurred by residents. She started a grassroots intervention program targeting teen pregnancy at Eastern High School during 1993 thru 1995. She is currently conducting workshops with at-risk young women at local schools and group homes on etiquette and social graces, appearance, and career goals.

America’s Purrfect Feline will also feature the “Cat Advisory Team (CAT). The CAT members are comprised of individuals and organizations that care about the well-being of cats and enjoy spoiling them. They will serve in a ceremonial role as well as provide input on the selection of America’s Purrfect Feline in their communities.

The competition will involve the community in a fun friendly event and a the same time highlight their neighborhood through their cat


She views America’s Purrfect Feline as a workable plan in bringing an innovative project to the community as it will involve them in a fun friendly event by highlighting their neighborhood through felines. In addition to recognizing responsible pet owners a scholarship fund for aspiring veterinarians is under development. One of the potential goals is for at-risk youth to gain exposure to a career that can lead them to be productive and contributing members of society. Recent current events involving individuals convicted of crime indicate they started by abusing animals in their childhood. America’s Purrfect Feline can be a preventative tool to guide them in the right direction and at the same time teaches compassion toward life.

The second phase of the competition involves the preliminary winners competing in a live state competition. The state competition would include several APF brand fundraising events to promote the pageant. This would be repeated in every state and the District of Columbia. The third phase of the competition would involve the 51 winners competition at the national level for the title of America’s Purrfect Feline.

America’s Purrfect Feline is a non-profit organization formed to encourage responsible treatment of cats and other pets and to educate the owners and the public regarding the importance of having them spayed or neutered.

Cat owners can enter their favorite feline online at www.apurrfectfeline.org or by writing America’s Purrfect Feline, 5505 Connecticut Avenue, NW #127, Washington, DC 20015. The entry period is July through October 2006.