By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER EAST SIDE — It's on. Upper East Side poodles, Upper West springer spaniels and Chelsea terriers are vying to be chosen as the pets that best represent New York.
In a tongue-in-cheek take on everyone's favorite neighborhood stereotypes, the American Kennel Club and Cat Fanciers Association nominated a cat and dog breed from each Manhattan neighborhood in a contest to pick the pet that best represents the city.
"It was a fun look that we took at the different neighborhoods," said Jessica Rice, a spokeswoman for the American Kennel Club.
Now, New Yorkers can vote on the final candidates online through Oct. 4 to pick which breed best captures the city's spirit.
On the Upper East Side, the club nominated the pampered poodle as the go-to dog breed, and the classically stylish American Curl as the neighborhood's cat breed.
In a nod to the active, more outdoorsy families of the Upper West Side, the Kennel Club nominated the sporty English Springer Spaniel and Oriental cat to represent the area.
In the Village, the club elected the intellectual Brussels Griffon dogs, known for their sensitivity, along with the no fuss Selkirk Rex cat breed to complement the neighborhood's philosophical vibe.
For Chelsea fashionistas, the groups chose the good-looking Dandie Dinmont Terrier and low-maintenance Cornish Rex cat.
Italian Greyhounds, with their European ancestry and love of large families, were a shoo-in to represent Little Italy along, with the equally affectionate Singapura cat breed.
The contest's winner, which will also face competition from Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island, will be announced Oct. 14, just in time for the Oct. 16 "Meet The Breeds" event hosted by the club at the Javits Center.
