Wide-eyed kittens, cuddly canines, even a handsome mule or two. More than 150 photos were submitted for the Butler County Humane Society’s first pet calendar. And the 60-plus entrants who participated have a good chance of seeing their pet in print.

Three pets – a dog, cat and another type of animal – will be spotlighted on the front of the calendar.

Each month will feature a photo montage of 10 of the submitted photos, along with a few of the success stories on the inside pages about rescued animals who found a “happily ever after.”

A total of 500 calendars will be printed to sell at $10 each and will be available by the first of December.

“We will set it up so people can order ahead. At this price, they will buy lots of them,” Annie Crenshaw, calendar chair, said at the group’s monthly meeting Wednesday.

The entry fee for submissions has already earned the non-profit group $750. The recent letter writing campaign brought an additional $2,300 to date, with $1,400 pledged to the Second Chance “No-Kill” Shelter Fund and $900 for the General Fund. Additional funds came from the sale of a quilt made and donated by Diane Richie, and from the donation jars seen around the county.

“Our Second Chance account is now at over $25,000, which is great; however, we don’t want to forget our general account also needs funds, too. We want to be able to continue to help our city shelter with their daily needs,” BCHS president Herbert Morton said. “We want to stress our fundraisers are for both of these causes.”

Upcoming fundraising efforts include raffling off a pair of Auburn/Alabama tickets donated by Meredith and Morgan Mann; a Fall “Bark in the Park,” tentatively set for October 24 in Confederate Park, and the BCHS’s first “Dogutante” Ball set for February 2010.

The group is also actively pursuing grant monies to assist in making the Second Chance shelter, which will work in conjunction with the city shelter, a reality.

The BCHS meets the second Wednesday of each month at 1 p.m. at The Chef’s Table.

Anyone interested in the welfare of the county’s animals is welcome to attend.