Humayra Pathan’s Lily the Rescued Cat took first place in the 5-7-year-old category in 2025, while Zehn Qureshi’s Luna! The Lost Cat claimed the top prize for the 8-10-year-old group this year, showing that kids really enjoy writing about their feline friends.
Zehn’s story about Luna was one of three winners in the 2026 Tails of Hope Short Story Contest, presented by Pickering’s Animal Services along with the Pickering Public Library and Scholars of Ajax & Pickering. Elowen Vettyvelu-Telegadi won with her dog tale (Osa and Dorrit’s Adventure), and Zack Roth’s story about his pet rabbit (Mellow’s Exciting Adventure) took home honors in the 5-7- and 11-12-year-old categories, respectively.
The Tails of Hope Short Story Contest, now celebrating its sixth year, encouraged children to write about their cherished pets and let their imaginations run wild through storytelling and artwork.
This inspiring project highlights the strong bond between kids and animals while showcasing their compassion, creativity, and love for pets of all kinds. Through storytelling, Tails of Hope gives children a chance to express themselves, boost confidence, enhance communication skills, and explore their feelings positively.
According to a news release from Pickering Animal Services, kids play an “important role” as future leaders in creating a more compassionate world.
“Through initiatives like Tails of Hope, the hope is to nurture empathy, confidence, and respect for animals while encouraging creativity and self-expression.”
Luna! The Lost Cat by Zehn Qureshi’s Luna!
The young writers received professionally copies of their stories. Large compilation books were created featuring all 27 entries. One compilation book will be available at the Pickering Public Library, while another will stay at the Pickering Animal Shelter and one at Scholars of Pickering.
A special book celebration party invited participants and their families to attend where each winner was given their book along with personalized certificates. They also had a chance to meet this year’s judge-local artist Susan Munderich.
Visit pickering. ca/Story Contest to read the top three stories and learn more about the contest.
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