***UPDATE: The entry deadline for Pet Idol has been extended to Friday, Feb. 4 at 5 p.m. Call (334) 875-2110 for more information.

***UPDATE: If enough pets are entered into the Pet Idol contest, a portion of the registration fees and voting fees will be donated to the Selma Animal Shelter.

Hamsters aren’t the only ones who can provide education in classrooms.

The Selma Times-Journal is sponsoring the 2011 Newspapers in Education Pet Idol competition to help put newspapers in classrooms.

“Participation in the program is a good way to show your pride in your pet, but to also help fund a program to enhance area student’s ability to learn about what is happening in an around their community,” said Dennis Palmer, publisher of The Selma Times-Journal.

If you think your pet is picture worthy, complete the entry form located in the Times-Journal and deliver it along with your entry fee to the Times-Journal office in downtown Selma by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The contest will raise money through entry fees and three rounds of voting and all of the money raised will go to the Newspapers in Education Program.

“Each year the demand from teachers from newspapers is higher than we can accommodate financially, which is why it’s important we seek out sponsors to help offset the cost of producing and printing our NIE copies,” Palmer said.

Along with current events and information from the Selma and Dallas County area, the NIE program helps promote literacy in the classroom.

“Education and literacy have been a key issue in Selma and Dallas County for a long time and the lack of funding sometimes prevents students from accessing quality reading material,” Times-Journal circulation manager and NIE coordinator Shane Gaut said. “Our goal is to have 75 classrooms sponsored prior to the beginning of the next school year. A fun and easy way for the public to get involved is by entering their pets, whether it be a dog, cat, fish, horse or whatever in the Pet Idol contest.”

The entry fee is $10 per pet. Following the entry deadline, readers will see the full ballot and voting rules published in the Times-Journal.

For more information on the Pet Idol contest, contact the Times-Journal at (334) 875-2110.