By Mallory Brown
STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING. WE HAVE TWO HALLOWEEN WINNERS… AND SOMEBODY PLEASE GO CHECK ON LATT.
Y’ALL. The votes are in, the Halloween contest is officially over, and somewhere in Randolph County, ONE GROWN MAN IS ACTING LIKE HIS DOGS JUST WON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE MISS AMERICA PAGEANT, AND A BRAND-NEW BASS BOAT. ALL IN THE SAME DAY.
We are talking about our very own Mr. Latt Armeda.
WELL, LATT, CALL THE RELATIVES, FIRE UP THE PRINTER, AND CLEAR OFF THE REFRIGERATOR. YOUR FAMILY HAS OFFICIALLY MADE IT BIG.
PLEASE GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO OUR HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST WINNERS, MISS MATTIE AND HER BEAUTIFUL SISTER, SHUG!
And before anybody hollers about favoritism, these girls won fair and square! We cannot, however, confirm or deny whether Latt has already ordered a championship banner for the front porch.
A VERY distinguished family
Now, these aren’t just any ordinary girls. They come from a VERY distinguished family.
Miss Mattie, our 13-year-old reigning beauty queen, was named after Mattie Ross from the John Wayne classic True Grit. And apparently, she inherited enough grit to survive 13 years of Latt’s foolishness AND win herself a Halloween championship.
Miss Shug, Mattie’s beloved sister and fellow Halloween champion, crossed the Rainbow Bridge a few years ago. These two girls spent their lives together and never knew a day apart until Shug’s passing. Although Shug is no longer here physically, she is every bit as much a winner as Mattie.
Two sisters, side by side in a photograph, winning one more title together.
And we think there’s something especially beautiful about that. Two sisters, side by side in a photograph, winning one more title together. One still here to enjoy the glory, and one watching over her family from above.
Their mama, Celie, was quite literally the love of Mr. Latt’s life. And before anybody gets offended, YES, his wife Deana is fully aware that she married a man whose soulmate had four legs and a tail.
Honestly, between Celie, Shug, and Mattie, we’re beginning to wonder if Deana has ever been ranked higher than fourth in her own marriage.
And the best part? Josie gets to deliver the winning prize basket directly to her own parents.
Nothing says nonprofit efficiency quite like having your volunteer deliver a prize to her daddy.
But in all seriousness, this family is incredibly special to Holding Hope. Latt is one of our favorite volunteers, Deana graciously shares him with us, and Josie works tirelessly helping our animals in ways most people never see. We are so grateful for all three of them.
You all helped us raise $381 for the animals
That’s $381 going toward helping animals who don’t have a family, a warm couch, or somebody like Latt losing his ever-loving mind over their Halloween accomplishments.
To EVERYONE who entered their precious pets, shared our contest, voted, donated, and supported Holding Hope, THANK YOU!
We loved seeing every single entry. The costumes, the creativity, the adorable faces, and the willingness of these poor animals to tolerate whatever ridiculous outfit their humans decided was necessary for Halloween.
Some of y’all’s pets looked thrilled. Others looked like they were actively researching emancipation. Either way, WE LOVED THEM ALL.
Every entry and every vote helped make a difference for the animals in our care. And while Mattie and Shug get the crown, every single animal in our care gets to benefit from your kindness.
Long live Queen Mattie and Queen Shug
So congratulations again to our beautiful winners, Mattie and Shug! Two sisters, one unforgettable bond, and now one very proud daddy who will probably be completely unbearable until Thanksgiving.
LATT, PLEASE REMAIN HUMBLE DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME OF EXTREME FAME.
LONG LIVE QUEEN MATTIE AND QUEEN SHUG!
With love and gratitude,
Holding Hope Inc
Thank you for voting
Every entry and every vote helped make a difference for the animals in our care.