With Covid 19 lockdown causing the cancellation of this year's summer fete usually held in support of Plaxtol Primary School, the parents association was facing the potential loss of £3,000 income this year - money that is vital to support the children's learning.

So the association asked the village to organise online fund-raising activities instead.

Fiona and Faye Stiff, aged eight and five, who are pupils at the school, came up with the idea of a virtual pet show.

With the help of Mum Louise, they invited Plaxtol villagers to submit pictures of their pets in return for a £3 donation and villagers were then invited to vote for the winners by "liking" the photos.

Local shops and businesses generously donated prizes - including a fine art portrait of the winning pet and a hamper.

In total 87 pets were entered in the contest - ranging from cats and dogs, to guinea pigs, a hedgehog, stick insects, tortoises and even a spider.

Dottie the dog was the overall winner with 156 votes. Other winners included dogs Kali and Bear, Coco - an African pygmy hedgehog, Millie the cat and Toby the guinea pig. There were special categories for Best Cat, Best Exotic Pet, Best Small Animal - as otherwise all the top prizes were awarded to dogs!

With generous donations a total of almost £500 was raised.

Sadly Fiona and Faye's own pets - stick insects called Jaws, Rosie and Sophie - were unplaced.

Mrs Stiff said: "The girls really missed being able to see their friends' pets during lockdown.

"When we started to think of ideas to raise desperately needed money for school, they wanted to host a 'real life' pet show, and had visions of all their friends bringing in their pets to school!

"Obviously, that wasn't going to be possible, but then they came up with the idea of everyone sending in their photos instead, and they were very excited about everyone getting to vote for their favourites and then being able to give out prizes to the winners!

"It was so lovely that everyone in the village and the community around us came together. Luckily, everyone in Plaxtol village loves their pets and our little school!"

Along with various other virtual challenges organised by villagers, the school's parent association has been able to make up nearly all of its lost income, so helping the school finance a remote reading book app called Bug Club, and Tapestry the online system which teachers use to send work home to the children and then mark it.

You can view all the pets here.

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