Welcome to Illinois Birddog Rescue's Have A Heart 9 Calendar contest. This contest is dedicated to all the dogs we bring into the program that are struggling with heartworms, tick-borne disease and other serious health problems. The photos that receive the most votes during the contest will win PAWSOME prizes, and the top 12 vote-getters will be featured in our Have A Heart 9- 2025 calendar. The rest of the photo submissions will be inserted into the date boxes.

We encourage you to enter the contest with your favorite photo of your dog/dogs and write a few words about why your dog is so special as I use that in the text of the winning calendar pages. Check out last year's Special Winning Calendar Pages. Then invite your family and friends to vote for your photo! The contest is open to anyone, and it is only $10 to enter your photo.

Voting is easy and fun. Votes are $1 each with a $5 minimum donation. Each dollar donated equals an equivalent number of votes. (A $5 donation equals 5 votes, a $10 donation equals 10 votes, etc.) A minimum donation of $5 is required. The proceeds will benefit Illinois Birddog Rescue and fund the medical expenses for many of our heartworm positive and special needs dogs. You can vote as often as you like during the contest, and you can apply all your votes to one photo or vote for multiple photos too and with so many lovely dogs- we encourage that!

For the best chance to win, be sure to spread the word about your dog's entry into the contest on Facebook, Instagram and via email. Also ask family and friends to go online and support your entry. You can use the sharing buttons that appear on your dog's photo page to share your photo entry with your Facebook friends, and you can email links to family and friends to encourage voting for your dog's photo.

Each year we bring in many dogs that need extra care due to neglect and this year has brought us many new dogs and puppies in need. Our cover dogs all have heartworm disease and tick borne disease:

• Eastern Tennessee English Setter- Winston
• Southern Illinois English Setter- Jack
• Senior Southern Illinois English Setter- Libby

The cost to medicate 1 heartworm dog for 1 year through our slow-kill program can be in the hundreds and thousands especially if there are additional medical procedures needed like x-rays, dentals, tumor removal, etc. Many dogs take longer to become heartworm negative with slow- kill, but it is an ideal treatment plan as the dogs don't need months of cage confinement and can have normal low-key exercise and play. Finding homes for these dogs can be challenging but Jack and Libby did find Foster to Adopt homes already and thanks to last year's contest, I had supplies for all on hand.

Winston was a very sick dog upon arrival to our rescue in October. Not only did he have heartworms, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but he had inflammation around his heart that could have been pneumonia. He also came in with a terrible intestinal bug causing him to look underweight and he also had a few bird shot pellets under his skin. We did have the opportunity to test his nose on pheasant after he was feeling a bit better, and he was amazing. Winny has had some training and surely was hunted over. How his health had been neglected-- causing him a long road to recovery—we'll never know, but helping dogs like Winston recover and find loving forever homes is what this contest and fundraiser is all about.


Ever since we started this contest 8 years ago, Remy, our Illinois rescued English Setter and his adopter- Judy, were a huge part of our fundraising success. Remy was always in the TOP 12 contest winners too. Sadly, Judy lost Remy to cancer a few months ago, but we are grateful to her for giving him the best life in Pittsburgh. This year’s calendar contest is dedicated to Judy and Remy.



As this is our 21st year as an official 501c3 Charity- I really hope we can raise some much-needed donations to help many more dogs and puppies. Our heartworm slow-kill program and high standards of testing for underlying tick borne disease is the best in the country. We hope we can get a lot of support again this year as every dog we brought in this past year was infected. Here is last year's HAVE A HEART 8 CONTEST & PREVIOUS WINNERS.

• This year we have a lovely prize set that includes a Bissell Cleanview Vacuum Cleaner, an original portrait painting by friend of the rescue--Tiffanie Andrews, a pair of IBR’s Anniversary mugs and Bird Dog Blend Organic coffee.
• winning photo will also be the cover of the Have a Heart 9 Calendar Contest and an insert into the calendar.
  
  

• Second through twelfth place winners win the eleven other coveted monthly calendar cover pages and a new Have A Heart 9 Calendar.

• TOP POINTER, TOP SETTER, and TOP BEAGLE will also win a bottle of Bird Dog Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
  
  
  
  
• As IBR has saved many mixed breed dogs, TOP MUTT will win a warm Foggy Mountain Snuggler dog coat. We have many sizes and colors to choose from.
  
  
  
  
• November is ADOPT A SENIOR DOG month and we would also like to award an additional prize of a pair of IBR Anniversary Mugs and Bird Dog Organic coffee to the entry that raises the most donations from their senior dog entry. Senior dogs are considered 7 and over.
  
  
  
  
• TOP BRITTANY, TOP GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER and TOP VIZSLA will also win a bottle of Bird Dog Kentucky flavored Bourbon Whiskey.
  
  
  
  
• TOP PAIR or GROUP entry will also win the Snowman dog toys.