Dakin Humane Society's 2026 Pet Photo Contest

Welcome to Dakin Humane Society's 6^th Annual Pet Photo Contest!

Our photo contest and calendar raise critically-needed funds that support Dakin’s programs and services that support animals in need and the people who love them.

Participation is easy! Submit your favorite high-quality photo of your pet, then share your entry with your friends and family to collect votes. You can also reserve a special day on the calendar to feature your pet’s photo for a $15 donation!

Winner’s Circle: The photo with the highest number of votes at the end of the contest will be featured on the cover of our 2026 calendar and receive a complimentary copy of the calendar.

Twelve Second Place photos will be featured as a calendar month and receive a complimentary copy. Don’t forget to preorder your calendar!

*Please visit our contest pages for more information on prizes and rules.

Reserve a Day to Honor Your Pet

Just want a guaranteed spot in the calendar? Reserve a day to honor your animal companion. This can be an adoption anniversary, birthday, memorial, or any special day! Your pet's photo will appear on the day of your choice. Just choose your favorite photo and then choose the day. Once a date has been reserved, it will no longer be available.

Reserve Your Day Here →

Want to Pre-order Your Calendar(s)?

Get your order in early! All calendars are expected to begin shipping in October. You'll receive an email with tracking information when your calendar order ships.

Calendar Pre-order →

Questions? We're here! Contact Danielle Cookish, Dakin's Digital Marketing Coordinator at dcookish@dakinhumane.org.

Prizes

There are 13 feature spots available for the top 13 vote-getters in Dakin's 2026 Calendar. These include the calendar cover and 12 full-page spreads, one for each month.

1^st Prize (one winner)

The photo entry with the most votes at the end of the contest will win a place on the cover of Dakin Humane Society's 2026 Calendar and receive a complimentary copy.

2^nd Prize (12 winners)

The top 12 vote-getters following the 1^st Prize winner will have their pet's photo featured as a month in the 2026 Calendar and receive a complimentary copy.

Rules

Entering a Photo

Your pet does NOT have to be adopted from Dakin Humane Society or live in Massachusetts to participate.
Photos deemed offensive, indecent, or obscene will be removed from the contest.
All online photo entries must be submitted by 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, August 31, 2025.
Photos must be submitted electronically. No mail-in or in-person submissions will be accepted.
Photo entries are $5 each.
You may enter as many photos as you'd like.

Submitting your photo grants Dakin Humane Society permission to use your images in current and future marketing materials in both print and digital formats.

Eligible Photos

Photos of dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, rats, gerbils, degus, chinchillas, ferrets, and domestic birds will be accepted.
Photos may contain more than one pet.
Photos must be clear and high in resolution to be considered for a month spread in the calendar. Photos with poor image quality will forfeit their spot in the calendar should the photo rank high enough for placement.
Photos must only contain domestic pets (no people or wildlife).
Photos must be in landscape (horizontal) format to be considered for a month spread in the calendar.
Photos must be full-color. Photos with heavy editing, alterations, and/or overlays will not be eligible to be included in the calendar.
Photos with photographer watermarks or signatures will not be eligible to be included in the calendar.
Any photos that are disqualified for not following contest rules are not eligible for refund of the entry fee or any votes collected.

Voting

Once you've submitted your photo to the contest, it's up to you to SHARE! Share your entry on social media and send links to your family and friends to encourage voting and help your pet secure a place on the leaderboard!
Votes are $1 each ($5 minimum donation)
Voting is open to everyone.
You may vote for your own pet.
All votes for photo submissions will be tabulated and displayed online.
The online voting period will end at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time) on Friday, September 12, 2025.
To vote, click on the Participate tab above.
Voting is online only.
Voting requires a $1 donation for each vote. All votes must be applied to selected photos by the conclusion of the voting period to be counted.
All votes are donations to Dakin Humane Society and are fully tax-deductible as permitted by law. The email acknowledgment of your online donation serves as your tax receipt.

Reserved Day Photos

Commemorate your pet's birthday, adoption day, or other special date by reserving a day in the calendar to display their photo.

Reservations are $15 per block (day).
Reserved Day photos are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
One photo per block. You may reserve as many days as you'd like.
Once a date has been reserved, it will no longer be available.
Reserving a day does not enter that photo in the contest.
You may use the same photo in both the contest and to reserve a day.
Reserved day captions may be edited for length, clarity, and/or content at Dakin's discretion.

*Depending on the day reserved, your photo may have a small icon or a small amount of text overlaid on it to mark a holiday.

Raised $0

Goal $16,000

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Dakin Humane Society thanks you for your support!

Your participation in our annual photo contest and purchase of a calendar changes the lives of animals and the people who love them. Thank you.

Dakin Humane Society
P.O. Box 6307
Springfield, MA 01101
dakinhumane.org