Arts & Entertainment
Cannon Nissan Hosts 2nd Annual Canine Competition
By Tavia Moore
Hottytoddy.com Intern
tmoore4@go.olemiss.edu
Grayson Gist holds a painting of her Bull Terrier whose winning story named Wilbur Gist as the 2019 Cannon Canine Champion.
The Cannon Canine Competition is back for another year and calling on all four-legged family members to participate in the second annual competition.
The Cannon Canine Competition Ceremony will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 9 a.m. at the Cannon Nissan Dealership—located at 479 Highway 6 West in Oxford.
Residents of the LOU community are encouraged to share their immense love for their furry companions by submitting a 100-word statement on why their dog deserves to be this year’s Canine Champion.
Four dogs will place and each finalist will receive a prize from one of the four sponsors. However, the winning dog will be featured in a Cannon commercial and ride in the Oxford Christmas Parade.
Cannon Community Ambassador Steve Vassallo said he believes the purpose behind the event stems deeper than its competitive atmosphere.
“This competition is a way to recognize canines and their value to society. Many people don’t realize their value or significance to our lives,” Vassallo said.
He is proud of the community’s response to the Cannon Canine Competition.
“Oxford is a very pro-canine community,” Vassallo said. “The residents love when we put on this event, which is why we want to recognize outstanding canine stories and contributions in the greater Oxford area.”
Vassallo said last year was the first year the competition was held. Applications have more than tripled since then. It looks like the competition could be a permanent event, he said.
Teachers in the community benefit from the event as well, according to Vassallo.
Last year a fourth-grader from Della Davidson won the competition. Vassallo said the teachers love the competition because it promotes creativity and writing for students.
“The community has responded in the most positive way to the competition. It is more to recognize these great citizens of Oxford and all of their wonderful, personal stories,” Vassallo said.
This year’s competition is sponsored by Crossroads Animal Hospital, DeltaDog of Oxford, Hollywood Feed and PetSmart.
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | W, 63-51 |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | W, 73-66 |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | W, 77-65 |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | W, 74-64 |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | L, 81-84 |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | L, 62-63 |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | L, 83-75 |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | W, 72-69 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | L, 92-82 |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | W, 98-84 |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |