ORANJESTAD, Aruba — The Aruba Responsible Pet Contest is inviting primary school students to use art to learn about proper animal care as Directie Volksgezondheid (DVG) works to encourage responsible pet ownership and prevent dogs and cats from being abandoned on the island.
The school art competition, called “Doño Responsabel,” is open free of charge to students from Grades 1 through 6.
Participants are being asked to create an original and colorful painting showing one or more dogs or cats receiving appropriate care from a responsible owner.
Aruba Responsible Pet Contest Teaches Proper Care
DVG wants the artwork to show children what responsible pet ownership means in everyday life.
Students can illustrate dogs or cats receiving proper food and clean water, having a safe place protected from the sun and rain, receiving veterinary attention and being kept under appropriate control.
Elements connected to Aruba’s rules concerning responsible dog ownership may also be incorporated into the paintings.
Through the competition, DVG hopes children will understand from an early age that owning a pet involves long-term responsibilities.
The campaign emphasizes that animals are living beings requiring care, protection and attention throughout their lives.
Artwork Must Be Created at School
Each participating student may submit one original painting.
The artwork must be created by the student while at school rather than being completed elsewhere.
Participation forms will be available through schools or directly from DVG.
Students must submit their completed artwork and participation information to their teacher no later than September 30, 2026.
DVG will then visit participating schools to collect the entries on October 1 and October 2.
Winners Announced October 16
A winner will be selected from each participating grade level.
DVG plans to announce the winners on October 16 through its official Directie Volksgezondheid DVG Aruba page.
The winning students will receive their prizes during a special ceremony scheduled for the afternoon of October 23 at Bestuurskantoor.
One student will also be selected as the overall winner of the competition.
That student’s artwork will receive a more permanent place in Aruba’s animal-welfare efforts.
Winning Painting to Become Mural
The overall winning design from the Aruba Responsible Pet Contest will be transformed into a mural at the future Centro di Rescate y Control.
The mural will allow the student’s message about responsible animal care to remain visible beyond the competition itself.
DVG’s decision to connect the contest with the future rescue and control center also ties children’s education directly to Aruba’s wider efforts to address animal welfare and the number of abandoned animals on the streets.
Preventing Pet Abandonment in Aruba
The competition forms part of a broader DVG campaign encouraging residents to take greater responsibility for dogs and cats.
Animal abandonment remains an issue in Aruba, where foundations and animal-welfare organizations regularly work to rescue, sterilize and find homes for stray animals.
DVG hopes education can help address the problem before it begins by teaching children that taking responsibility for an animal involves much more than simply bringing a pet home.
Owners must be prepared to provide food, water, shelter, medical attention, supervision and care throughout the animal’s life.
Education Starts at a Young Age
Through the Aruba Responsible Pet Contest, DVG is using creativity as a way to introduce those responsibilities to children while allowing them to communicate the message in their own way.
The initiative combines education, animal welfare and student participation, while the mural component gives the winning artwork an opportunity to become part of a future public facility.
Students in Grades 1 through 6 who want to participate have until September 30 to complete and submit their paintings through their schools.
