A contest will determine a new name for Warren's animal shelter.
Warren County Humane Society Director Karen Kolos said society officials have been thinking about the change for the last several years. After the new building opened in 2007, she said it seemed like the right time.
Many organizations have nicknames or additional names, Kolos said, such as Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester. In addition, she noted people refer to the Warren Area Elementary Center as WAEC ("Wake") and other examples include Erie's Anna Shelter and Because You Care, Inc. in McKean.
"We're still the Warren County Humane Society," Kolos said. "We just want to come up with something else so we're bringing it to the public to have fun and get ideas."
Because of its current name, Kolos said a lot of people think the county government runs the shelter. However, she said the government does not do so.
The society's website clarifies the organization exists as a not-for-profit entity. It also acknowledges support from the city, boroughs, townships and county municipalities which provide yearly donations to the budget which fund the society's services.
To enter the contest, the website specifies participants must have reached the age of 9. Furthermore, it limits the name to 10 words.
The entry period began Oct. 1, according to the website, and concludes at 4 p.m. Oct. 15. In that time, the website said participants can submit as many entries as they want.
In order to win, the website states entrants do not need to make any purchases. The society's Board of Directors will hold all submissions in confidentiality, the site said.
The directors will decide the winner, according to the site. The winner will receive $50 cash and a personalized embroidered hoodie/jacket, the website said.
To enter, the website directs people to an online entry form available at . The site also provides a printable form to fill out and mail in or drop off to the society.
Lollypop Farm Director of Communications Adrienne McHargue said her organization's past director, Raymond Naramore, wanted to make the entity a friendly destination. During the 1950s, she said he decided to name it after the upbeat song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop."
"The name gives us strong recognition in the community," McHargue said. "It has a personality associated with it."