Wichitan with three dogs of her own wins Eagle's matching contest

Wichitan Sharon Thomas, a proud owner of three dogs, won The Eagle’s contest that challenged readers to match 10 newsroom employees with their canine pets.

Thomas guessed six of the 10 correctly. She was the only person, out of a total of 413 entries, to get that many correct.

Asked about her strategy, Thomas said:

"It was a lot of guessing, with some playing detective thrown in. I took into consideration what the people's job titles were, how the people looked in their pictures (the old saying dogs look like their people) and then the different characteristics of the different breeds (activity level, grooming time, etc.) and how the dogs looked in their pictures (collars, backgrounds, etc.). But in the end it was a lot of guessing and luck."

Thomas, 45, says she is disabled and two of her three dogs — 5-year-old Blair (a collie) and 2-year-old Shane (a sheltie) — are certified service dogs. She also is the proud owner of Buck, a 6-year-old German shepherd.

For winning the contest, Thomas will get a 2008 Woofstock T-shirt, two movie passes and two pet-related books.

Thanks to all Eagle readers who participated in the contest.

Here are photos of the 10 newsroom employees matched with their dogs.

Hercules Chow	This dog belongs to:	Michael Roehrman Copy desk chief
Norton Pug	This dog belongs to:	Denise Neil Entertainment, dining
Lilly Golden retriever	This dog belongs to:	Lori Buselt WichiTalk editor
Patience Llewellin setter	This dog belongs to:	Diane McCartney Copy editor/Pets editor
Hank Labrador retriever	This dog belongs to:	Michael Pearce Outdoor writer, photographer
Ollie Airedale	This dog belongs to:	Richard Crowson Editorial cartoonist
Maggie Sheltie	This dog belongs to:	Beccy Tanner Kansas history, general assignment
Myles English mastiff	This dog belongs to:	Sherry Chisenhall Editor
Kobe Boston terrier	This dog belongs to:	Tim Potter Crime, safety
Rufus American Eskimo	This dog belongs to:	Joanna Chadwick High school sports reporter