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Snapchat challenged its users to share their best pet tricks and these are the winners

Cats can play fetch?

snapchat, pet tricks, dog tricks

Snapchat's #PetTrick Challenge winners.

Snapchat launched a #PetTrick Challenge last week where it offered users a chance to win $7,000 by showing off their pet's most clever tricks. The challenge was part of a new campaign through its Spotlight platform where users are given the chance to win cash prizes for creating popular snaps using Lenses, Sounds or #Topics.

“Whether it be your best trick shot or your funniest impression, these challenges champion Snapchatters to create Snaps that highlight their unique voice, perspective, personality and creativity,” Snapchat wrote on its website.

The Top Snap winner @loganbackflip won $3,500 for turning the challenge on its head. Instead of merely showing off his dog Nike’s amazing tricks, he recreated them himself including fetching, hopping backward and grabbing the mail. The video probably reminded a lot of people of David Letterman's “Stupid Human Tricks” bit.

What’s most impressive is how Logan holds his hands up like paws as he hops across his house. "This is my pet friend, his name is Nike," Logan wrote. "Today I will be recreating all of his #PetTricks."

Click on the photos to watch the videos in a new window.


loganbackflip | Spotlight on Snapchat

story.snapchat.com

The second-place winner @babyitabbey won $2,500 for her dog Astro’s unique tricks of playing dead, catching a snowball and sharing hugs. Have to admit that if they gave our Academy Awards for dogs, Astro would win one for his compelling playing dead performance. He also does a great job at understanding commands when he finds Abbey a dog toy and gives her a big warm hug.

5 pet tricks with Astro | Spotlight on Snapchat

story.snapchat.com


The third-place winner @joshsadowski won $1,000 for teaching his cat Milo to play fetch, an unusual characteristic for a feline. I wonder if Josh also has dogs that play fetch and if the cat picked it up from them?

My cat just learned how to play fetch😂 | Spotlight on Snapchat

story.snapchat.com

If you didn’t think it was possible to train your cat how to play fetch, Chewy has step-by-step instructions that teach you how to do it using a training clicker. Even if your cat doesn’t naturally play fetch, Chewy stresses that it’s still possible.

“If your cat happens to be one who needs greater effort to train, I encourage you to do it,” Chewy writes. “Training your cat to play fetch is worth it. You will also enjoy the process and end result with your cat. So for those of you with cats who don’t just play fetch instinctively, I would like to state: You can train your cat to play fetch."

The American Kennel Club put together a list of the best dog breeds to teach tricks. It says that the best dog for tricks is the border collie because they are “whip-smart workaholics” and are a “highly trainable breed.” The club also recommends poodles for being “keen to work” and “eager to please” as well as German shepherds because they are “tireless workers and want nothing more than to please their handlers.”

In the end, pet training is all about having fun and creating a stronger bond between yourself and your pet. When it comes to learning, pet training is not just a one-way street, it teaches humans a thing or two about themselves as well.

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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