The NWT SPCA 2027 Fundraising Calendar Contest is open to all photographers and animal lovers. All photographs must include animals with a connection to the Northwest Territories. The NWT SPCA reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, submission eligibility. 

Entries will be accepted starting 10:00 AM (Mountain Time) on Thursday, July 30, 2026 and the final time and date for submitting photos is at 8:00 PM (Mountain Time) on Thursday, August 20, 2026 The NWT SPCA anticipates notifying winners by mid-late September.

• Get close to your  pet!
• Get your pet to look at the camera, preferably at eye level
• Use natural light and avoid cluttered backgrounds

Want to mark a special day with your pet? Reserve a specific day on the calendar and your picture will be blocked into that day for everyone to celebrate.

We are looking for striking images of all loved pets in support of the NWT SPCA. Contest photographs should ideally feature animals adopted from the NWT SPCA, but this is not a requirement. We encourage photos of all beloved pets. Please share fur-ever home success stories!

Photographs taken before the contest year may be submitted to honor memories of cherished pets. All photo submissions must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person. 

No humans in the photos, please, just your beautiful fur-friends!

Digital Alterations: All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified. Acceptable alterations include adjustments to colour, contrast, brightness and sharpness; removal of dust and scratches; cropping; black and white conversions. Not acceptable are photo composites; the addition, duplication, deletion or moving of objects in the photos (including watermarks); or the use of artistic digital filters and effects. Examples of artistic filters and effects are watercolour, neon glow, posterizing, stained glass, and others which do not show the scene in its natural way.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): All submitted images must be made entirely from photos that entrants have taken themselves. AI–generative system editing or creation is not permitted – every element must be real and cannot be generated by an AI system or feature.

Highest voted photos with a minimum of 250 votes will be featured each month with approximately a ½ page feature of the photo and accompanying storey. The runner up entries will be showcased throughout the calendar through picture and name compilations.

There is no limit to how many times you can vote for an entry. The more you vote, the more compassionate care can be delivered to animals in the NWT.

In the event of a tie, the photograph that was entered first will be considered a higher rank. Please note this is the system already used by GoGo Photo Contest to determine the rankings, and we will abide by the final rankings. Photos that do not meet the rules below may require substitution or forfeit their spot.

All images must be digital and photos may be colour or black and white. Photographers may enter a single or multiple images; there is no maximum number of entries per participant. Net contest proceeds go to the NWT SPCA and any contributions are tax-receiptable.

Entrants submit contact and contest information, upload photo(s), and select payment amount (optional votes). Payment is made on a secure web page using a major credit card. Registration confirms the NWT SPCA can contact you regarding this year's and future year's contests unless otherwise specified.

Prepare Your Photos: Camera-made digital images or digital scans of slides or prints must be uploaded as jpg or png files. To be included in the judging and eligible to be featured in prize items, a minimum file size of 1MB (or minimum 900px tall or 1200px wide) is required, and photos must be considered "print quality" with respect to their composition, focus, colour and tone, resolution (dpi), and format.

Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of the photographs but entry into the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs, including your name and city, to be published by the NWT SPCA publications, and on the NWT SPCA website, and be used for fundraising and educational activities of the NWT SPCA with appropriate photography credit.

These activities may include, but are not limited to, NWT SPCA publications and web pages, calendars, annual auction, online photo features and contests, photo cards, social media and emails providing NWT SPCA information.

By entering this competition, you agree to these entry rules and the following legal conditions:

By entering, participants warrant that their entry materials are original, that they are the photographer and they do not infringe on any third party's rights, and that the participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party's property appears in the photograph. The NWT SPCA reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true. Decisions of the NWT SPCA shall be final and binding.

By entering, participants release and hold harmless the NWT SPCA, its affiliated organizations, and each of their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives (collectively, the "Organization") from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or related to the NWT SPCA 2027 Fundraising Calendar contest, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by the NWT SPCA, the warranties participants make, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any NWT SPCA-related activity, or participation in the NWT SPCA.

The contest is governed by the laws of the Canada and is subject to applicable federal, provincial, and local laws and regulations. Participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved with the Organization, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the NWT SPCA, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, before a court of competent jurisdiction. In any such dispute, participant shall, under no circumstances, be entitled to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys' fees, other than participant's actual out-of-pocket expenses (if any) associated with participating in the NWT SPCA contest. Participant hereby waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

Any attempt by an entrant or other individual to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the NWT SPCA is a violation of criminal and civil laws, and should such an attempt be made, the Organization reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Organization is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the photography contest, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions to the NWT SPCA contest, including but not limited to any misprints or typographical errors. The Organization assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, photographs. The Organization is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer equipment, servers, providers, computer on-line systems, software, or failure of email on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, including injury or damage to participant's or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in or uploading images or information to the NWT SPCA contest.

In no event will the Organization, their advertising and promotional agencies, or their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages arising out of participant's access to and use of the Organization's websites, or the downloading or uploading and/or printing of material from said sites. Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the Organization's sites is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.

The NWT SPCA is not responsible for lost, damaged, late or misdirected photographs, or for uploading connections, garbled transmissions, unauthorized intervention or technical malfunctions.

The NWT SPCA uses your personal information to update you on our work for animals as well as for advertising and analytics purposes.

Advancing the well-being of companion animals in our region through the operation of our shelter, community education and engagement, and offering programs and services for the betterment of the animals and the community.

A compassionate North where all animals are valued, respected, and treated humanely.

To prevent animal cruelty, educate about humane treatment of animals; provide shelter and care to abandoned and abused animals; and encourage adoption into suitable homes.

Our overall goal is to engage and encourage our society to help build communities where all animals who depend on humans for their well-being can experience freedom from hunger and thirst, pain and injury, distress, and discomfort.

We educate communities about animal wellness, promote responsible pet ownership, and ensure the well-being of animals in need. By providing shelter, rehabilitation, training, and support, we positively impact the lives of the animals and the community they live in.

🌐 www.nwtspca.com