Photos of cats, dogs, horses, farm animals, small mammals and birds are accepted. Your pet does NOT have to be adopted from CLAWS to be eligible to enter this contest. There is no registration fee to enter and no limit on number of photos entered. More than one pet is permitted in each photo. High resolution photos should be of the pet(s) only—no humans, please. Photos must be at least 300dpi and at least 1MB in size- 3650 pixels x 2740 pixels is preferred for printing purposes. Please no filtered/Photoshopped or altered images. Participants may only submit photos to which they have the rights to reproduce. Entries must be received by 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, November 2, 2025. Event Coordinator reserves the right to request a different photo if the above criteria are not met.

If you mail your photo rather than submit it online, please note that we will be unable to return your photo to you.


Each vote costs $1, and there is no limit to the number of votes one may cast. You must cast a minimum of 5 votes at a time for a minimum charge of $5. You may vote for your own photo. Online voting begins as soon as the photo is registered and ends at 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, November 2, 2025.


Prizes will be awarded based on the total funds raised for each picture. First prize will be awarded to the participant with the highest amount. Second prize will be awarded to the participant with the second highest amount. Third prize will be awarded to the participant with the third highest amount. Winners will be notified by email on or about December 3^rd, 2023.

First Prize: $50 gift card to your choice of PetCo, Donna's Pet Depot, or Shutterfly; winning photo posted on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and featured in our annual newsletter.

Second Prize: $25 gift card to your choice of PetCo, Donna's Pet Depot, or Shutterfly; winning photo posted on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and shown in our annual newsletter.

Third Prize: $10 gift card to your choice of PetCo, Donna's Pet Depot, or Shutterfly; winning photo posted on our website, Facebook, Instagram, and shown in our annual newsletter.

• Photos of pet cats, dogs, horses, small mammals and birds are accepted. Your pet does NOT have to be adopted from CLAWS to be eligible to enter this contest.
• Your photo may contain more than one pet.
• People are not allowed in your photo, only pets.
• All photos of cats must depict them in an indoor setting.
• We cannot accept Polaroids, photos with digital overlays, photo stickers or doodles, or any copyrighted photos.
• Contest participants are responsible for ensuring that they have the right to submit the photos being entered in the contest. By submitting to the contest, you affirm that you are the photographer, or have been given unrestricted use permission by the photographer, to include the photo.
• Photos must be high resolution (3650 pixels x 2740 pixels is preferred for printing purposes).
• Once entered, photos become the property of CLAWS to be used for print and marketing purposes.
• Online entries must be submitted before 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, November 2, 2025.
• Mail-in entries must be received by October 27, 2025, at CLAWS Photo Contest, PO Box 172, Closter, NJ 07624.

• Online votes for photo entries must be submitted before 9:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, November 2, 2025*.

*The ending time for the online voting portion will be solely determined by the host website's server, or the CLAWS business clock if submitted in person. Keep in mind your clock may differ from the clock that determines the ending time.

The Closter Animal Welfare Society (CLAWS) is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to helping animals, and those who help animals, in the Bergen County, NJ area. Founded more than 50 years ago, we are not a shelter, but a network of foster homes that finds forever homes for over 200 homeless animals each year. We also encourage the public to spay and neuter their pets to reduce the number of unwanted animals in our area. CLAWS is run entirely by volunteers, receives no funds from the state, and exists solely on money raised through fundraisers, adoption fees, and private donations. With no paid employees, every dollar we raise goes directly to our efforts to help animals.

For more information on us and the animals we serve, please visit us at clawsadopt.org →