“I saw the contest and filled out the application without even telling them,” said Tracy Eller, who has helped sons Zack, 13, and Thomas, 9, with their burgeoning dog biscuit business over the past two years.

The boys started making them in 2006, and soon were selling the peanut butter, applesauce and wheat doggie goodies at local stores and adoptions for Aiding and A-Petting, a group that fosters dogs and cats until they can be adopted. All the proceeds, about $1,700 so far, have gone to the rescue group. Founder Karen Brinker said they were blown away by the $5,000 award, which came from the magazine and the Walt Disney Co.

The boys’ only reward was a photo shoot and being featured in the magazine this fall as one of three grand prize winners. But that was enough for them.

“This helped us raise more money to give to the pets, so we were really happy,” Zack said.

To order biscuits: woof emdowndogbiscuits.com. Aiding and A-Petting: aidingandapetting.com.

Of course, the Eller boys aren’t the only animal-loving youngsters in the North Georgia area. In fact, there are so many we can’t write about them all. But here are a few more who are working hard to help homeless pets:

Her own book. Ansley Burnette, 8, of Blairsville volunteers with a group called Castaway Critters Pet Rescue. That’s why she knows so much about homeless pets. And also why she wants to help them.

Ansley wrote a book called “Frisco Finds a Forever Family,” about a homeless dog finding his forever home. Of course it helps that her family owns a publishing company that printed the book. But Ansley, a home-schooled fourth-grader, wrote the story and found another student, Deborah Mullen of Ellijay, to draw the illustrations, which Ansley then colored. Her mom, Dawn Burnette, is understandably proud.

“She loves to write, so she decided to write a book to raise money for the shelter and help raise awareness at the same time,” she said.

The hardback was published in April and has raised more than $1,100 for Castaway Critters. Other groups also can buy the book wholesale and sell it and keep the profits.

Ansley has held book signings, and is working on a program to take into schools on responsible pet ownership and the importance of spaying and neutering.

To buy the $16.99 book: friscothedog.com. For information on the rescue: www.castaway-critters.org.

A rock solid fund-raiser. Claudia Crawford, 10, of Cumming came up with a different way to raise money to help homeless pets — she sold rocks at her school, Settles Bridge Elementary in Forsyth County.

A teacher supplied the rocks, which included semi-precious stones, and for the past two school years Claudia has sold them to fellow students for 50 cents to $20. The most recent sale netted about $200 for SmallDog Rescue and Humane Society, where Claudia has been volunteering since she was 8, cleaning cages, walking dogs and helping with fund-raisers.

“I really love animals, and I don’t like to see dogs in humane societies, so I raised money for the dogs,” said Claudia, who has four dogs of her own.

Anne Stockton, president of the rescue group, said it has a number of young volunteers, including ones that regularly work at adoption events or the shelter.

“We are one of the few rescue groups that works with youth volunteers,” Stockton said. “We feel it is vital to the rescue effort to have the youth of today learn about responsible pet care. They are our future.”

Information on Small

Dog Rescue: www.smalldoghumane.org.

Dough from doughnuts. Another school project that’s helping Georgia’s animals is the doughnut sale by the eighth-grade Beta Club at Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville. With the blessing of Principal William Kruskamp, about two dozen students, led by teacher Suzanne Cross, hold regular sales. At the end of the school year the club donates the money to SpayGeorgia, which funds low-cost spay/neuters for pets whose owners otherwise couldn’t afford them.

This year the class donated $2,100.

“That will spay or neuter a lot of animals,” said Cindy Lindsey, founder of SpayGeorgia. “We are so impressed with these kids and their teacher and the school for allowing these kids to fund-raise for us.”

Information on SpayGeorgia: spaygeorgia.org.

While most people knew Skip Caray as the Braves announcer, those in the animal community also knew of his love for animals. He and his wife, Paula, adopted several rescue dogs, including one from SmallDog Rescue and Humane Society. And SmallDog was one of three groups listed by Caray’s family for where donations could be made in his memory. Anyone who wants to donate can go to www.smalldoghumane.org.