Maisie the pasta-loving kelpie has been crowned top dog for Libby Coker’s Canines of Corangamite calendar.
The exuberant seven-year-old pooch from Armstrong Creek caught the eye of many, with her captivating airborne moment winning the coveted People’s Choice Award.
The joyous image of Maisie defying gravity will feature in April, while 11 other finalists won the honour of being pin-up pooches throughout next year.
Federal Member for Corangamite Libby Coker said her office had received a huge response of talented and gorgeous dogs for the 2024 calendar with more than 200 entries.
Maisie’s owner Ethan Cook said the winning photograph features Maisie in pursuit of a ball on a walking track in the Otway Ranges National Park.
Mr Cook, a teacher at Nelson Park School in Geelong, said Maisie was used to performing in front of the camera.
“As I work as a media arts teacher for special needs students, she often features in lots of the kids’ short films and adores working with them,” he said.
He said his adventurous pooch’s love of tennis balls was unparalleled and each throw was an “opportunity for flight”.
Ms Coker said she wanted the calendar to celebrate the bond people have with their four-legged friends and the extraordinary moments that can happen right in our own beautiful backyard.
“As a pet lover myself, I appreciate the depth of the human-animal bond and how it affects our health and well-being,” she said.
Ethan and his family will receive a $100 voucher to spend at The Salty Dog Cafe, Torquay.
