Friday, October 16, 2026 — At Great Plains SPCA in Merriam, Kansas, the evening’s top honors went to the pets whose portraits earned a place on the shelter’s giant wall. The annual Best in Show celebration took place Thursday, Oct. 15, pairing a community fundraiser with the kind of gallery where every face has a fan club.
Chico gets a wall-sized encore
One of the winners was Chico, a 10-year-old dog whose portrait was honored after his death earlier this year. His person, Hathaway Miranda, told KMBC that seeing his image on the wall felt surreal. The recognition gave family and friends a new place to visit, remember Chico, and take pictures together.
The shelter’s contest turns pet photos into a full-sized community gallery: winning portraits are painted on the outside wall of Great Plains SPCA. The organization says the display is seen by people traveling along I-35, which makes it one of the region’s more heartwarming roadside attractions. Chico’s win joined other local pets in the annual lineup.
Thursday night’s finale brought supporters together to celebrate the winners and support the shelter’s work. Great Plains SPCA says it serves about 7,000 pets each year in the Kansas City metro area.
For Chico’s family, the prize is a portrait that keeps his familiar face in the neighborhood’s view. For drivers, the shelter wall adds an unexpectedly charming cast of local celebrities to the daily commute.
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Our sister site’s lost-and-found cloud comic is a clearly labeled piece of satire: a fictional cloud gets its very own claim ticket.
Sources
- KMBC’s report from the Oct. 15 Best in Show celebration
- Great Plains SPCA’s 2026 Best in Show event page
Source note: KMBC confirms the finale took place Thursday night, Oct. 15, and reports Chico’s recognition. Great Plains SPCA’s 2026 event listing gives Oct. 15 as the finale date.
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