In the Annual Top Dog Contest, sponsored by County Auditor Mark Giesige, rear, Sam Huber, left, Coldwater fourth-grader, took first place for his essay on his dog Buddy, a fluffy, white dog who alerted the family to a fire in the garage. Jared Bergman, a Marion Local fifth-grader, placed second with his dog Sadie, the "greatest dog ever." Placing third is McKenna Black, a fourth-grader at Immaculate Conception School, who wrote about Daisy, a 10-week-old Wheaten terrier. The contest is to raise public awareness of the importance of purchasing Mercer County dog tags.