It's easy to participate!
This fun-filled contest benefits pets and children in Northeast Wisconsin.
Dog owners will pay
$10 to enter their pup into their favorite shelter's or brewery's photo contest.
Once voting opens on February 2nd, contestants will encourage their friends and family to vote for their canine companion
(votes are just $1 each).
It's anyone's game! On March 1st, the contest will come to an end, and the top vote-earning dog will be crowned the NEW Top Dogs for 2026. The top 10 dogs from each of the five contests will win some really cool prizes and the top 3 shelters with the most total votes among all their dogs will an additional cash prize to support their efforts.
Why enter?
Aside from bragging rights, there are a number of reasons to enter this contest!
- YOUR DOG ON A BEER: The winning dog from each of the five local contests will become the face of their very own beer! They'll get to collaborate with the brewmaster and help with naming! (at the brewery's discretion) In each of the five contests, the 2nd-10th place dogs will also have their photos featured on the back of the beer can or bottle.
- PRIZES: The top 10 dogs from each of the contests will win a variety of prize packages (see each prize page for more details).
- SHELTER BONUS: At the end of the contest the shelter or rescue with the most votes across all dogs representing their shelter will win a $1,500 cash prize! The second highest will receive $1,000. The third will receive $500. This is in addition to the funds they receive from the contest entries and voting.
- PETS AND KIDS: Proceeds from this contest will benefit the participating shelters/rescues and the Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis club.
Important Dates
- January 26th: Contest registration begins!
- February 2nd: Voting begins!
- March 1st: Registration and voting ends at 9:00pm (CST) and the places are locked!
- Keep an eye out for Match Days to double your votes and impact!
- Follow your favorite shelter/rescue & brewery's Facebook pages for additional events supporting NEW Top Dog.
Support Kids & Pets
There's so much at play here! The NEW Top Dog contest is about fun, prizes, a sought-after title, and making a difference. Since 2020, this program has raised over
$700,000 to help pets and children in our communities.
Because of you, NEW Top Dog 2026 will change the lives of even more pets and children. Thank you for your participation!
About WilsonHaus
WilsonHaus officially opened our doors in fall of 2024. The vision has been to start small and intentionally, growing both our financial runway, experience and network of individuals and organizations that would like to be involved with our vision.
In the beginning, our primary focus has been to give dogs in over capacity shelters their second chance. Our headquarters in Appleton, Wisconsin has kennel space for up to six dogs at a time. The plan is to be able to grow our network of trusted FOSTERHAUS homes to give more dogs a safe and soft place to land while we rehabilitate and search for the perfect match in an adoption family.
We are committed to doing rescue well and thorough - ensuring that each animal that enters our care gets all they need to not only survive but thrive.
Learn More at:
https://www.wilsonhausrescue.org
