I love the idea but there are too few eyes in the image. Would have been great to capture at least one set of eyes of the elderly folks in the image. Lighting is great though.
I would prefer the focus of this image to be either more to the left or right, The current central position, has a tendency to present a rather static image, which is obvioulsy not the case
Dogs, puppies especially, will draw a crowd. You did a good job capturing the emotion that comes from this contact. Good focus and color, a bit too centered for my personal taste (looks snapshotish - and I use that term sparingly).
A snapshot that may mean a lot to you and these ladies, but in the mindest of a contest this shot is centered, with harsh lighting. Camera angle is you standing there taking a photo. The shade to the right would provide better lighting. A different camera angle might provide more interest.