By Karen Gutierrez
The Cincinnati Enquirer

IF YOU GO

What: Tryouts for Pet Stars show on cable's Animal Planet, held during Pet Fest, an annual fund-raiser for Friends of the Shelter Inc. When: Registration at 11 a.m. June 27, and the talent contest about 1 p.m. Where: Boone Woods park in Burlington Pet Fest information: (859) 689-2668

BURLINGTON - Alert that talented pet in your life: It's time to start practicing.

Boone County will be the site of a June 27 tryout for Pet Stars, a weekly show on Animal Planet, the cable network.

The show features everything from rats that play basketball to dogs that surf on their behinds. Pets and their owners compete for an ultimate prize of $25,000. Those who make it onto the show - either by sending in a tape or attending one of 17 tryouts around the country - win travel expenses to Burbank, Calif.

"We're just expecting scads of people to come," said Carolyn Lalley, a Florence resident who volunteers at Boone County's animal shelter.

The June 27 tryout will take place at Boone Woods park in Burlington during Pet Fest, an annual fund-raiser for Friends of the Shelter Inc. The nonprofit group provides volunteers and supplies to animal shelters in Boone, Kenton, Campbell and Grant counties.

Pet Fest will include a dog walkathon, talent show, agility contest and owner/pet look-alike contest. Friends of the Shelter will charge a nominal entrance fee for the various events, and Pet Stars will observe animals during the talent show portion, volunteer Karen Kratzer says.

Those with promising acts will be pulled aside for videotaping. The tapes will be reviewed by Animal Planet officials, and owners should know within two weeks whether their pets have made the cut, says Heidimarie Pagliassotto, production manager for Pet Stars.

Registration for the Pet Fest talent competition will begin at 11 a.m. on June 27, and the contest will start around 1 p.m.

So far, Pagliassotto knows at least one contestant will be a pirouetting raccoon.

There are undoubtedly talented pets in the area, Lalley says, but hers aren't among them.

"The only trick my dogs know is to come to the food bowl when you say, 'It's time to eat,' " she said.

E-mail kgutierrez@enquirer.com