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Aiming for a howling success
By SHANNON BREEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 7, 2000
Standing under bright lights with thousands of eyes focused on you is a far-fetched scenario for many. But for one 61/2-year-old St. Petersburg resident, it will become reality.
Greta Ness will stand proudly on her four hairy legs at the 2000 Advantage Singing Pet contest in New York City on Sept. 13.
Greta is Peggy Ness' fawn boxer and is one of 10 animals competing for the Best Singing Pet title. If she earns this national honor, she will win several prizes, including a chance to star in an Advantage flea control advertisement, a recording session, a year's supply of Advantage and a $1,000 prize. A day before competing, Greta is scheduled to perform for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis. "Greta is not going on Millionaire, but on (Philbin's) daytime show," Ness says. "If (Greta) was going on Millionaire, she would probably do better than half the contestants."
Greta proved her vocal capabilities during the March "Paw-ditions" at Al Lopez Park in Tampa. She competed against more than a dozen other animals, besting the competitors with a howling version of Mary Had a Little Lamb. There are eight other dogs and one cat in the final round in New York City.
Greta's talent was discovered when Peggy was practicing her flute for a Christmas concert. As Peggy played, Greta spontaneously "sang" along.
Greta doesn't just sing to win contests. Peggy says, "If she wants something, she'll stand by the treat jar and start howling."
The 2000 Advantage Singing Pet contest began in 1997 when Regal the beagle took home the grand prize with his rendition of That's Amore. Two others have earned the honor -- Pumpkin, the opera-singing poodle, and Zippy, the blues-singing poodle.
While the past two victories have gone to poodles, Ness hopes this is the year of the boxer.
- To learn more about singing pets, visit http://www.nofleas.com.
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