Will Brooks, a rescue pug, return to defend his 2016 Pet Idol title?

We will have to wait and see as The Vicksburg Post has announced that registration for the annual contest is now open.

Pet owners — of all kinds — are invited to enter their pet — of all kinds — into the annual competition that goes to support The Vicksburg Post’s Newspapers In Education program.

Brooks, who is owned by Glenn and Jackie McKay, received the most votes during the 2016 competition, earning the title of Pet Idol.

“This is a really fun contest each and every year,” Post publisher Tim Reeves said. “Each year, we get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing owners register their pets and then campaign for those votes.”

It costs $10 to register a pet, with the deadline for registration set for Friday, March 10.

“It can be any animal, any pet,” Reeves said. “It could be a bird, a dog, a cat, a hamster a … whatever.”

After registration closes, there will be three rounds of voting to trim down the field until a winner is chosen.

Once the field is set, votes — costing 25 cents per vote — can be cast by anyone wanting to support their favorite pet.

Not only does the winner earn the title of Pet Idol, but they will also be featured in a story in The Vicksburg Post and receive a gift basket for them to enjoy.

For more information on how to register and ultimately vote for Pet Idol, call 601-636-4545.

Registration forms are available at The Vicksburg Post’s office, located at 1601-F N. Frontage Road.