The Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) has always tried to encourage young writers, and one member offers a junior writing award during our annual writing contest. This is a $400 cash award, and also comes with a Maxwell medallion, the only special award that also includes the medallion. The only requirement for entering the DWAA writing contest is that the piece be published within the contest year.

The market for any kind of dog writing has been dwindling and for the last couple of years, there have been no entries for this award, so the governing board decided they wanted to change that. DWAA now has a new program called Young Writers on the Web. Writers who are under 18 years old are encouraged to submit stories about dogs. Possible publication opportunities include the DWAA website and the DWAA newsletter, “Ruff Drafts.” Publication in either will qualify the article for the writing contest.

As an added incentive, the editor of the “AKC Gazette” will consider submissions that focus on AKC sports and events.

The other incentive is that Mara Bovsun, the features editor of “Family Dog” will edit the submissions and work with the young authors to polish their pieces for publication. That, to me, is the most amazing part of this new incentive. While not every piece may be published, it’s not often that a young writer gets the chance to work with a professional editor at no charge. To quote Bovsun, “I think people see the word “contest” and that becomes the focus. I’m viewing this program as a workshop, with the goal of giving the kids the experience of submitting a manuscript, working with an editor, and seeing it published. It’s not like giving a trophy for every effort. For me, it’s more about the process, with the prize being the thrill of a first public byline.”

So, if you know a budding author who loves to write about dogs, check out the DWAA website for all the details, dogwriters.org/youngwriters. For more information on the “AKC Gazette’s” participation, see viewer.zmags.com/publication/3b17e329#/3b17e329/7.

And now, my annual admonishment about not buying real bunnies and chicks as an Easter gift. Rabbits can make a wonderful pet, but only if you’re prepared to keep it properly. It’s not like a stuffed animal; it can’t be neglected after the holiday. It will need daily care and proper food and housing for several years. If you’ll be keeping the rabbit in the house, they can be litter trained, but you’ll need a box in every room the rabbit has access to, and, that bunny will need lots of materials to chew on, or he might decide to snack on the legs of your dining room table. If you also share your home with cats or dogs, you’ll need a secure place for your rabbit so that he doesn’t become another pet’s lunch.

The same goes for chicks and ducks. They don’t stay fluffy little puffballs for long and they need space and safe housing. And, both of these types of animals do better in a flock. They’re not meant to live solitary lives. In fact, New York state prohibits the sale of chicks, ducklings or baby rabbits (less than two months old) in lots of less than six. It’s also against the law to color or dye any of these animals.

If you’ve got the space and want a few chickens for eggs, starting out with some Easter chicks is fine, although the way the weather has been, make sure you’ve got some warm housing right away. There are lots of sources on line for building housing for both chickens and rabbits and you can also get pre-built housing at either a pet supply store or a farm supply outlet. When we were in Wales, we saw a wonderful portable house for chickens with an attached, fully fenced “yard.” It was on wheels so it could easily be moved to different parts of the lawn. If you’re in city or town limits, make sure you’re allowed to have chickens, and, be careful you don’t have a rooster. Many cities and towns have regulations against keeping a rooster, which could annoy the neighbors.

As usual, I’m sticking to chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps. Recently, I visited a store that was selling just the ears, which I thought was clever. Whether you want the entire rabbit or just the ears, unless you truly want a pet rabbit, stick with the candy kind.