Rules

For the purposes of raising awareness for animal welfare, raising critical funds to support animal welfare and to highlight and celebrate the love between rescue pets and their people, Friends of Indianapolis Dogs Outside (FIDO), a 501c3 organization, is running a contest for the month of February 2024. Participants are encouraged to share their photos and stories about why they love their rescue pets. The stories will be available at http://www.gogophotocontest.com/fido and the FIDO community will be invited to visit and vote on their favorite story by making a tax-deductible donation to the organization. The photo/story receiving the most votes will have a FIDO vehicle named in honor of their pet including a photo featured on the vehicle for 2024. The photo receiving the second highest vote count will have their photo featured on a FIDO vehicle for 2024.The photo receiving the third highest votes will have their choice of either a pillow or blanket featuring their pet’s photo. FIDO executive director, Darcie Kurtz will select her favorite photo and will be designated as “Darcie’s Choice”. This entrant will also receive their choice of either a pillow or blanket featuring their pet’s photo. All entrants who receive 250-499 votes will receive a FIDO t-shirt and all entrants who received more than 500 or more votes will receive a FIDO sweatshirt. All stories submitted become the property of FIDO and may be used in later marketing efforts.

My Furry Valentine Photo Contest is a story/photo contest running from February 1, 2024 at 6:00am through February 29, 2024 at 8:00pm EST. Participants will be invited via email, website and social media channels to submit their photos and stories to http://www.gogophotocontest.com/fido and all in the community will be invited to vote for their favorite by submitting tax deductible donations to FIDO with $1 = 1 vote.

For Story Submission: Those aged 18 and older and who have adopted a rescue animal in the past are invited to share their story of love by submitting a photo and a short story. Stories can be submitted anytime during the contest period. The earlier a story is submitted the longer it will have to generate votes through donations. Each person is limited to one story submission. If your photo was taken by a professional or commercial photographer, you must send a signed copyright release to pams46077@yahoo.com.

For Voting: Anyone with internet access in good standing is eligible to vote on the stories by making a tax-deductible donation to FIDO. While all donations are valued and important to the team at FIDO, only those donations made at http://www.gogophotocontest.com/fido and associated to the specific story will be counted for this contest.

This is an internet contest, therefore, to submit a story and/or to vote will require internet access and sufficient and updated hardware and software to effectively interact with the contest site http://www.gogophotocontest.com/fido. While FIDO values all members of their community, we cannot be responsible for or provide technical support for any individuals who have technical difficulties when submitting their stories or voting for their favorites.

For those who are eligible, submissions must include a story, no more than 250 words long, and a photo. The photo must include only the pet or pets being highlighted and in JPG or PNG format. The entry must include all required contact information to be considered eligible. The story must demonstrate the positive aspects of adopting through rescue and reinforce the love a rescue pet brings to a family.

FIDO community will be invited to review the stories and vote on their favorite. The earlier a photo/story is submitted the longer it will have to accumulate votes/donations. During the contest period, FIDO will utilize various communication channels to get the word out about the contest. Those submitting stories may also share the stories with their community and encourage them to vote for their favorites and may vote for their own stories. All donations from voting are non--refundable. Contest payments online are through a secure site. Contest votes are tax deductible. The email acknowledgment to your online donation serves as your tax receipt

In early March, as soon after the close of the contest as possible, representatives from FIDO will document and share total amount raised in the My Furry Valentine contest and the amount raised individually by the top three vote getters and the favorite photo selected by Darcie Kurtz. Representatives will reach out, via provided contact information, to those receiving the most votes to coordinate awarding of prizes. All stories that are submitted may be reproduced at FIDO marketing materials, website, email and social media channels.

By participating, all entrants acknowledge and agree that they have entered the contest of their own free will, that the full rules and details of the contest have been made available to them and that their stories and associated images will become the property of FIDO. By entering this promotion, participants agree to be bound by these rules