HERMITAGE, Pa. - A local animal shelter was presented a $2,000 check on Monday for winning a contest from veterinarian service, MedVet.

Shenango Valley Animal Shelter in Hermitage was the winner of MedVet's Shelter Surprise contest.

The contest started in September with nominating. During this time, members of communities across the country submitted their local animal shelters. From there, MedVet chose the top 10 shelters with the most submissions and put it up to a vote.

According to MedVet's Marketing Partner for Cleveland and Akron, Jessica Driscoll-Owens, voters could vote once per day during the voting stages.

Shenango Valley Animal Shelter Manager, Angelia Sherman tells 21 News she was shocked to see that the shelter had won. Over 6,000 shelters had been submitted, and when it came down to just the top 10, many shelters had a much bigger following.

"We were just very shocked. Especially because the other shelters we were competing against had a much larger social media following. So the community came together and voted for us non-stop and that was very gratifying," Sherman said.

Sherman tells 21 News the $2,000 prize will go towards the shelter's medical bills, stating that they're over their budget by $30,000 this year.

Driscoll-Owens tells 21 News MedVet is happy to help organizations such as Shenango Valley Animal Shelter because they share the mission of supporting pets and their families.

"We know organizations like this rely on volunteers, especially during the pandemic. So this is a way to give back," Driscoll-Owens said.