Vote Now for AWLA’s 2026 Calendar Contest!
The entries are in — now it’s time to vote! 🐾
Help your favorite pets become calendar stars and support animals in need. Every $1 donation equals one vote, and every vote helps the Animal Welfare League of Arlington provide food, shelter, and care for pets in our community.
How It Works
- Voting open: October 25–31 at 12 p.m.
- $1 = 1 vote: Each vote helps AWLA reach its $35,000 goal for animals in our community.
- 13 pets featured: Including our Cover Pet, 11 Monthly Stars, and 1 Random Draw Winner.
- Random Draw details: For every $100 raised, participants earn one entry (up to 5 chances) to win a monthly feature and free calendar, earning a spot as one of our Monthly Stars, even if they’re not among the top voters!
- All pets entered will appear somewhere in the 2026 calendar!
Key Dates
- Photo submissions: October 20–24
- Voting: October 25–31
- Winners announced: November 1
- Calendars available for purchase: Until November 20
Every entry and every vote makes a real impact. Together, we can help ensure every animal receives the care, compassion, and second chance they deserve.
Ready to show off your pet and help animals in need? Enter or vote now to support AWLA!
Prizes
🌟 Grand Prize — Cover Pet!
The pet who receives the most votes overall will be featured on the cover of AWLA’s 2026 Calendar! Our Cover Pet will also receive a professional photoshoot, a free copy of the calendar, and ultimate bragging rights for a whole year.
Top 11 Pets — Monthly Stars
The next 11 pets with the highest number of votes will each be featured as a Pet of the Month in AWLA’s 2026 Calendar. Each monthly winner will also receive a free calendar to show off their pet’s winning photo.
🎉 Bonus Winner — Random Draw
For every $100 raised, participants earn one entry (up to five chances) into a random drawing to win a monthly feature and free calendar — earning a spot as one of our Monthly Stars, even if they’re not among the top voters!
Every $100 raised = 1 entry, up to 5 entries total — so raising $500 means five chances to be the face of a month in the 2026 calendar!
All Entrants — Honorable Mentions
Every pet entered will be celebrated — all participants will have their photo included in a calendar page, so every furry, feathered, and scaly friend gets their moment to shine.
The Real Reward
Every vote is a donation that directly supports the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, helping us provide food, shelter, and medical care to animals in need across our community.
Reserve a Date to Honor Your Pet!
Celebrate your pet in a special way! 🩵
Everyone who enters will appear in the 2026 AWLA Calendar — but if you’d like to make your pet’s day truly shine, you can reserve a specific calendar date in their honor!
For a $50 donation, your pet’s photo will appear on the date of your choice, along with a short inspirational quote or message (up to 25 characters) from your pet to inspire every calendar owner who turns the page. ✨
Perfect for birthdays, adoption days, or just because your pet makes every day better.
Dates are first come, first served, so reserve your special day before it’s gone! Calendars sold separately.
Reserve Your Pet's Day! →
Contest Entry & Voting
- Entry fee: $25 per pet photo.
- Calendars are sold separately and do not automatically come with registration.
- The photo submission period begins October 20 and ends October 24. Any votes entered during the submission phase will be counted, but will only appear in the leaderboard once the voting period begins.The voting period begins October 25 and ends October 31.
- Each $1 donation = 1 vote (minimum of 5 votes per transaction).
- All votes and entry donations are non-refundable.
- Entries and votes must be submitted online through the official contest page.
Photo Guidelines
- Photo submissions must be of domestic pets. Your pet does not have to be adopted from AWLA to enter.
- Photos should be in focus and of high quality, in either jpg or png format.
- Photos should have file size of 2MB or higher
- Photos must not be altered, other than minor contrast, brightness, etc.
- Photos must contain only pets – no humans.
- If you win a monthly feature, AWLA staff may reach out for alternate or additional photos to include.Only one photo submission per entry fee is allowed.
Submission Guidelines:
- You may submit as many entries as you like, but each must be of a different pet. (*We allow photo entries of bonded pairs.*)
- Any photograph that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, obscene, etc., as determined by the staff of AWLA, will be removed from the contest and no refunds will be provided.
- Once entered, photos become the property of AWLA and may be used for future print and marketing purposes.
- Calendars are 12-month, covering January 2026 – December 2026.
- Ordered calendars will be shipped directly to you, and shipping is included in the calendar cost!
- Last day to order: November 20, 2025, at 12:00 PM (noon) — make sure to get yours before the deadline!
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) provides animal adoption, community, and humane education programs throughout Northern Virginia and the D.C. metropolitan area. We also offer animal rescue and control services within Arlington County.
For more than 80 years, AWLA has been dedicated to improving the lives of animals — and the people who love them — by providing compassionate care, essential resources, and a safe haven for pets in need.
AWLA is proud to be a Charity Navigator 4-Star and GuideStar Platinum rated organization.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all donations are tax-deductible.