Sit, Stay, Smile, Photo Contest

Photo Contest Rules

Photo Entry Rules

• Photos of domestic dogs and cats are allowed (no people or wildlife, please).
• Previous Sit, Stay, Smile winning photos will not be considered for inclusion in the 2023 calendar. 
• Winning photos are based on votes by donation. The five photos in the dog and cat categories that raise the most donations will be included in the calendar. Only winning photos are guaranteed a spot in the 2023 calendar.
• Two photos, one dog and one cat, will be selected based on quality alone by a panel of judges consisting of ARF staff and event sponsors to be included in the calendar.
• The featured animal does not have to be adopted from the Animal Rescue Foundation.
• Entries may feature more than one animal.
• Photos must be high-resolution (300 dpi at 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high) to be considered for a month spread in the calendar. When printed, photos may look different from digital versions. 
• Photos must be in landscape (horizontal) format to be considered for a month spread in the calendar. 
• Photos must be full color – not heavily filtered, edited, or altered.
• Photos with professional watermarks will not be eligible to be included in the calendar.
• Photos deemed unsafe, indecent, offensive, or obscene will be removed from the contest.
• All entries must be submitted by Sunday, August 28.
• All photos submitted become the property of the Animal Rescue Foundation, which may, at its discretion, copy, edit, publish, or modify entries for use in any and all media, without limitation or compensation to the photographer or the individuals and animals appearing in the photo. The submitter of the photos does not relinquish rights to use the photos.
• Mail-in submissions cannot be considered for the 2023 calendar. 

Donation Vote Rules

• The online voting period will end on Sunday, August 28 at 5 pm.
• Each $5 donation counts as five votes. You can place all votes on one entry or divide them among multiple entries.
  • All votes for photo submissions will be tabulated and displayed online.
  • All donations (votes) are non-refundable.
• ARF is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please save your donation acknowledgment email for your tax files.

Contest Prizes

• The top five vote-earning entries in each category (dog & cat), that meet image requirements, will be featured in a month spread of our 2023 Photo Contest calendar.
• The number one vote-earning dog and cat photos will be transformed into custom animal paintings by Bloom Florence to be hung at ARF for one year, after which they will be presented to the winners. 
• Two photos, one dog and one cat, will be selected based on quality alone by a panel of judges consisting of ARF staff and event sponsors to be included in the 2023 calendar. 
• Thanks to a generous sponsor, we’ll also be offering each winning dog and cat a toy and treat bundle. 
• All entrants will receive a 2023 calendar before the end of November 2022. 

2023 Calendar

• One free printed calendar is included for every photo entry.
• Additional calendars can be purchased.
• Calendars will be shipped or available for pickup at ARF by the end of November 2022. Purchasers who select the pickup option will be contacted via email with information on when calendars will be available.