KENTUCKIANS INVITED TO SUBMIT ART FOR SPAY AND NEUTER LICENSE PLATE

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Animal lovers can express their affection for our four-legged friends by submitting designs for Kentucky’s spay/neuter license plate.

The Kentucky Animal Control Advisory Board is conducting a contest to identify the artwork that will adorn the specialty plate. A portion of the revenue from sales of the plate go to fund spay and neuter programs throughout the state.

“Spaying and neutering pets is a humane way to reduce overpopulation of dogs and cats as well as a public safety issue,” Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer said. “The spay/neuter plate raises funds to help low-income pet owners who want to do the right thing. It also raises awareness among all Kentuckians that it’s important to spay and neuter our pets.”

Designs may be no more than 11 inches wide and 5 inches tall. They must be submitted in high-resolution digital form as a PDF or JPEG file to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture no later than Jan. 15, 2011. To submit an entry, attach the design to an e-mail and send it to ted.sloan@ky.gov.

The board will select four entries and post them, along with the current design, on the board’s Web site, www.kyspayneuter.com, to allow Kentuckians to vote for the winning design. Details on the election will be announced in early 2011.

All entries will become the property of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. There will be no compensation for the winning design.

The current artwork on the spay/neuter plate was created by Linda Kay Davis of Morehead and adopted in 2003.

The spay/neuter license plates are available for an initial fee of $31 and an annual renewal fee of $26. Vehicle owners can get the plate by applying at their county clerk’s office.