My first thought when I saw this was I really like the simplicity--It's very befitting of a logo. And the paw print is a clean, appropriate symbol for the concept it represents. I also like the colors. The orange and brown work nicely together, and since they're sort of earthy and natural, it's easy to associate them with animals.

I feel that while the bevel looks good inside the paw, it doesn't work for the text; it kind of makes it hard to read, actually. In the spirit of the simplicity here, I think plain text with an outline at most would be all that's needed. I also think raising it up and pushing it to the left just a little would be stronger compositionally--It looks to close to the edge right now.

Giving it that shiny, glossy look definitely makes a logo look sleek, but I don't think the gradients in the corners provide enough contrast to successfully create that texture. Having a slightly darker value around the white of the glow usually enhances that glassy look.

Nice work! Good luck in the contest.