Rules

• Votes will determine if your pet's photo will be featured in our calendar. 
• The entry period is from 12:00:00 AM (Pacific Time) on Monday, May 15, 2023, until 6:00:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
• There are 13 full pages to win (the cover and each month). In order to feature all kinds of animals in the calendar, there are three categories: Dogs, Cats and Other (any other domestic animal such as a bird, reptile, horse, rabbit, etc.)
• The overall top fundraiser regardless of category will be awarded the cover.
• The next five spots from the Dog and Cat categories, and the next two spots from the Other category will be awarded a full page Pet of the Month page in the 2024 Marin Humane + Hopalong Calendar.
• Entries who are not one of the top 13 winners will still be featured in the collage pages.

Please see the image specifications in the following section to ensure your photo will meet the requirements for a full page image.

All proceeds from entry fees and votes will help us provide shelter and care for the animals at Marin Humane + Hopalong. 

• Entries can only be made online and must be received by 6:00:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. To submit photos, click on the Participate tab above and follow the directions to upload a photograph of your pet. 
• There is a $25 fee for submitting a photo to be included in the Marin Humane + Hopalong 2024 Photo Calendar.
• You may make an additional donation during the entry process with each dollar counting as one vote.
• All eligible photos submitted by 6:00:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 will be included in the 2024 calendar, either in a collage page or as a full-page Pet of the Month.
• Fees and votes are considered donations and are fully tax-deductible as permitted by law. Marin Humane is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All entrants will receive email receipts for their contributions.
• Marin Humane reserves the right to disqualify an entry based on objectionable content or depiction of an animal. The registration fee will not be refunded. Donations (votes) will be refunded upon request of the donor.
• All photos become the property of Marin Humane and by submitting a photo, you acknowledge and give permission to Marin Humane to use the name, story, and photo of the animal in future publications, including the 2024 calendar.

• Photos should ideally be high-resolution (300 dpi or greater) and/or a minimum file size of 4 MB, and in a standard file format such as .jpg or .png.
• Some phone photos may not meet these standards. Please check your phone’s camera settings for default image file size or pixels. The larger the file size (at least 4 MB) or pixel dimensions, the better.
• If your pet wins the Cover or the Pet of the Month, but your photo is not high enough quality, we will ask you for a new photo which must be provided by June 30, 2023 to meet the calendar printing deadlines.
• Photos should be landscape (horizontal) orientation.
• Photos may contain one or more pets.
• Photos may not contain people.
• Photos must be in color.
• Photos must feature pets owned by the photographer OR the entrant must have permission to submit the photo. (Photographs with photographer’s watermarks will NOT be eligible to be included in the calendar.)
• To be considered for the Cover or as Pet of the Month, all cats and dogs shown outdoors MUST be wearing tags and collars. If we love your photo but your pet does not have a collar or tag, we will Photoshop them in.

Are you in need of some helpful tips on how to take a great photo with your cell phone? Please see our handy infographic below:

• To vote online, click on the Participate tab above. The online voting period will end at 6:00:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. 
• Each $1 donation counts as one vote. You can place all votes on one entry or divide them among multiple entries. 
• All votes for photo submissions will be tabulated and displayed online.
• All donations (votes) are non-refundable.
• Marin Humane is a 501(c) (3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible.
• The email acknowledgment reply to your online donation serves as your tax receipt.
• Voting by mail will be accepted and must be received by Marin Humane no later than Thursday, June 16, 2023 at 5 pm PDT. Mail-in votes should be sent to: Marin Humane, Attn: Photo Contest, 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd. Novato, CA 94949. Envelopes must include your phone number, donation by check, the pet and entrant names, and your written request to apply your enclosed donation towards votes for them in the 2023 Photo Contest.
• To vote by phone with a credit card, please call 415.506.6231 during regular office hours, before 3 pm PDT on Friday June 17, 2023.