Northern Rivers Animal Services in partnership with Jennifer McKinnon Photography, are excited to announce the 2026 calendar photo contest.
100% of the proceeds from calendar sales, entry fees, and voting fees will directly support NRAS in its mission to rescue, care for, and rehome abandoned, abused, lost, and unwanted dogs and cats, giving them a second chance at a loving forever home.
It is easy to be part of this exciting competition whilst supporting the amazing work of NRAS, simply submit your favourite photo of your pet and then ask your family, friends and co-workers to vote for them.
How many votes do you think you can get?
The 13 highest vote getters will have their cat or dog professionally photographed with Jennifer McKinnon Photography and a win a place in the calendar.
If you don’t want to enter the competition you can still support NRAS by voting for your favourite dog or cat on the leaderboard for as little as $1. You can also help spread the word of the contest by sharing with family, friends and co-workers. Every dollar counts!
Please carefully review all submission guidelines below before entering. Entries that do not follow contest rules will not be eligible to win.
“All photo sessions will take place in Ballina and surrounds - please review rules for more details.”
Grand Prize:
The winners of the photo contest will be determined by the top 13 entrants that get the most votes! The top entrant will win the cover photo for the 2026 calendar! The 2nd - 13th place winners will have their pet featured as a pet of the month. They will have their dog professionally photographed by Jennifer McKinnon Photography for the 2026 calendar and receive a competition branded digital file of the image that appears in the calendar to share with family and friends.
Weekly mini competitions
The dog or cat receiving the highest number of new votes each week during the course of the contest will win a mini-contest prize from one of the participating businesses.
Reserve a Special Spot In The Calendar For Your Pet:
Honour your best furry friend, celebrate a gotcha-day or birthday by reserving an empty grid space (before or after the numbered squares) for their photo. Choose a favourite photo, a month, and pay. Each month has a limited number of squares in each grid and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis; don't delay! Each grid space is just $10.
Reserve Your Spot Here →
Prizes
Grand Prize
- The thirteen grand prize winners will have their pet professionally photographed by Jennifer McKinnon Photography and be featured in the 2026 Northern Rivers Animal Services Calendar either as the cover or as one of the months of the year.
- The winners will also receive a competition branded digital file of the image used in the calendar.
- The winners of the photo contest will be determined by the top 13 entrants that get the most votes! The pet with the highest number of votes will win the coveted cover photo for the 2026 calendar! The 2nd - 13th place winners will have their pet featured as a pet of the month.
- The thirteen winners will also be featured in an art gallery installation for six months on Northern Rivers Animal Services website.
- All winners will have the opportunity to purchase products and images following their session, if desired.
*If your pet is one of the 13 to be photographed for the calendar, you must be able to bring your pet to Jennifer McKinnon Photography at a pre-selected location in the Ballina, Alstonville or Lennox Heads areas during July 2025 for a professional on-location photo session. If you are unable to commit to a photo session during those times or find yourself unable to travel to these pre-selected locations, you forfeit your winning and the next top vote getter will take your pet's spot in the calendar, no exceptions.
Weekly Mini-Contest Prizes
- The pet who receives who receives the highest number of new votes for a particular week will win a mini-contest prize from one of the participating businesses.
- Voting for each week's competition finishes on the Sunday of that week at 10.00pm.
- In the event of a tie for that week's most votes or if there are no new votes for that week, a random computerised drawing will be held for all eligible dogs and cats.
Rules
Entries:
- Each entry fee is $5. Participants may submit more than one photo, but each photo has a $5 submission fee.
- Only photographs of cats and dogs will be accepted.
- People are not allowed to be in submitted photos.
- If you have multiple pets per household and wish to win a session for each pet, you will need to submit each pet individually.
- Only one pet per enter photograph.
- Posting more than one photo of your pet does not increase the chances of winning. The winners of the photo contest will be determined by the top 13 entries that receive the most votes. The same pet can only win once. Attempts to win two spots in the calendar the same pet will not be permitted.
- All entries in a particular week will automatically go into that week’s mini contest.
- All animals must be depicted in a humane and dignified manner.
- Photos that do not follow these rules will not be eligible to win with no opportunity for a refund.
- Only animals who can come to the photography sessions to be held in Ballina, Lennox Heads or Alstonville NSW in July 2025 are eligible to win the top 13 prizes.
- Should a competition winner not be able to make it to the photography portrait session during July 2025 then the next pet in line, based on the number of votes, would then move up and take this pets place.
- Deceased pets can participate in the contest to help raise money for the NRAS but will not be eligible to win prizes or a photography portrait session.
- All photos must be uploaded; we cannot accept printed photos.
- Professional or copyrighted photos will not be accepted.
- Once entered, photos become the property of Northern Rivers Animal Services and Jennifer McKinnon Photography and may be used at their discretion.
- The submission period starts at 8:00:00 AM (AUS Eastern Time) on Friday, 23 May 2025 and ends at 10:00:00 PM (AUS Eastern Time) on Sunday, 29 June 2025.
- Any photograph that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, or obscene as determined by Jennifer McKinnon Photography and Northern Rivers Animal Services in its sole discretion, will be removed from the contest with no opportunity for a refund.
- Should an entry receive votes that places it among the top 13 entries and the person in charge of that entry corresponds with or speaks to the photographer or NRAS and their respective officers, directors, representatives, volunteers, or agents in a manner which is rude, condescending, or aggressive, the entry’s votes will be overruled and that entry will be withdrawn from the contest, disqualified, and removed with no opportunity for a refund for either the entrant or those who voted for the entry.
Voting:
- Each $1 donation counts as one (1) vote. There may be opportunities to earn additional "free" votes throughout the contest. These will be announced on the contest website and social media sites for Northern Rivers Animal Services and Jennifer McKinnon Photography.
- All donations from voting are non-refundable.
- Entries and donations must be made via the online contest page.
- Contest votes may be tax deductible.
- All winners will be determined by electronic vote tabulations under the supervision of GoGo Photo Contest, whose decisions are final and binding.
- The voting period starts at 8:00:00 AM (AUS Eastern Time) on Friday, 23 May 2025, and ends at 11:59:00 PM (AUS Eastern Time) on Sunday, 29 June 2025.
Calendar Photo Session:
- All winners will be notified by email by the end of the first week in July 2025.
- The top 13 vote getters will win a professional on-location photographic session by Jennifer McKinnon Photography at Ballina, Lennox Head or Alstonville. Winning cats will be photographed in a safe environment at NRAS in Ballina.
- All winners must schedule their photographic session by July 8, 2025. If you are unable to commit to a photo session during these times or find yourself unable to travel to any of the nominated locations, you forfeit your winning position, and the next top vote getter will be offered your pet’s spot in the calendar.
- The top vote recipient will win the coveted cover photo for the 2026 calendar. The following 12 recipients with the most votes will be eligible to have their pet featured as a pet of the month.
- Winners who want a more customised experience will have the option to upgrade their session after the contest is over.
- The photographer, Jennifer McKinnon Photography, will choose the best image of the pets to be used in the calendar as well as which month your image will appear.
- All winners will receive an online gallery of their images with the option to choose one, competition branded digital image as part of their prize package. They will also have the option to purchase additional digital images, prints, and gifts including their images.
- The photo session and digital image combination is valued at $250.
Weekly Mini-Contests:
- The pet receiving the highest number of new votes each week over the course of the 5-week contest will win a mini-contest prize from one of the participating businesses.
- Voting for each week's competition finishes on the Sunday of that week at 10.00pm.
- Each pet may only win a weekly mini-contest once.
- In the event of a tie, a random draw will be held between the highest vote getters of the week to determine that week's winner.
- In the event that there are no new votes for that week, a random computerised draw will be held for all eligible pets.
- Certain individual business restrictions and limitations may apply and may vary by business. NRAS and Jennifer McKinnon Photography are not responsible for these restrictions and eligibility requirements as determined by each business.
The Fine Print:
- By submitting a photo entry, you warrant and represent that your entry is your own original work and that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to your entry materials. If you submit an entry that is copyrighted by another individual, you are responsible for any legal action the copyright holder takes against you.
- Calendars will be available to the general public in the first week of October 2025.
- By entering the contest and suppling your contact details you agree to receiving emails from Northern Rivers Animal Shelter and Jennifer McKinnon Photography. Your information is held securely and will not be shared or sold.
- By participating in the contest, entrants agree to release and hold Northern Rivers Animal Services and Jennifer McKinnon Photography and each of their respective officers, directors, representatives, volunteers, and agents from and against any claims of any nature arising out of participation in the contest or receipt or use of any prize.
- Jennifer McKinnon Photography will have the final say in winning entries. Should an entry receive votes that places it among the top 13 entries and the person in charge of that entry corresponds with or speaks to the photographer or NRAS and their respective officers, directors, representatives, volunteers, or agents in a manner which is rude, condescending, or aggressive, the entry's votes will be overruled and that entry will be withdrawn from the contest, disqualified, and removed with no opportunity for a refund. The next highest vote getter will be chosen by Jennifer McKinnon Photography in its place.
About NRAS
Northern Rivers Animal Services is a fully self-funded, non-profit registered charity that operates a shelter committed to rescuing abandoned, abused, lost and unwanted dogs and cats and finding a forever home where they will be loved and cared for.
Established in October 2001, NRAS, through donations, sales from its Op Shops and generosity of its foster carers and volunteers, has been able to find loving homes for thousands of cats and dogs.
NRAS goes beyond providing food, shelter and medical care for the dogs and cats of the Northern Rivers. With the support of its Vet Partners throughout the region NRAS assist individuals facing financial hardship by contributing to the cost of desexing their pets through the Subsidised Desexing Scheme. They also provide a platform to educate the community on responsible pet ownership.
The NRAS team, along with NRAS dogs also provide monthly pet therapy, visiting numerous local aged care residents for a chat and pat session.
100% of proceeds from the sale of the calendar along with entry and voting fees benefit Northern Rivers Animal Services, ensuring the animals in their care receive get a second chance to find a loving home and live their best lives.