Pet Mayors of the Evergreen Arboretum 2026 Official Contest Rules
Pet Mayors of the Evergreen Arboretum 2026 is a community photo contest and fundraiser hosted by Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens.
The contest will crown three honorary Pet Mayors:
- Dog Mayor
- Cat Mayor
- Stuffie Mayor
The top vote-getter in each category will be named a Pet Mayor of the Evergreen Arboretum 2026.
Funds raised will be split 50/50 between two local causes. Half of the proceeds will support the restoration and preservation of the Japanese Maple Garden at Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens. The other half will support Everett Animal Shelter and its work providing food, medical care, shelter, and adoption services for animals awaiting their forever homes.
Every vote helps preserve a beautiful public garden while giving homeless pets care, shelter, and second chances.
Eligibility
Each household may enter one candidate per category. For example, a household may enter one dog, one cat, and one stuffie, but each candidate must be submitted as a separate entry.
Each entry must feature one candidate only. Please do not submit group photos, photos with multiple pets, or photos with people.
Entries must be family-friendly and appropriate for a public nonprofit fundraiser.
Entry Fee
Each entry costs $10.
Entry fees are donations to the fundraiser and are non-refundable.
Photo Requirements
Each entry must include a clear JPEG photo of the candidate being entered.
Photos should show only the individual dog, cat, or stuffed animal being entered or their campaign sign image with their face on it.
Photos may not include people, multiple pets, copyrighted images owned by someone else, offensive material, indecent content, obscene content, or anything inappropriate for a public family-friendly campaign.
By submitting a photo, entrants confirm that they have the right to submit the image and that the image does not violate copyright, trademark, privacy, or ownership rights of another person or organization.
By entering the contest, participants agree that Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens may use submitted photos, pet names, city names, bios/stories, campaign slogans, and related entry information for contest promotion, social media, printed materials, event announcements, winner recognition, and nonprofit marketing connected to the Pet Mayors of the Evergreen Arboretum campaign.
Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens reserves the right to remove or decline any photo, entry, slogan, or written content that it determines to be offensive, inappropriate, misleading, indecent, obscene, or inconsistent with the spirit of the contest.
Voting
- Voting opens at July 18th, 2026 at 11 a.m. pst
- Voting closes at October 16, 2026 at 9 p.m. pst
- Votes are $1 per vote.
Voters may cast donation votes as often as they wish during the voting period.
The candidate with the highest number of votes in each category at the close of voting will be named the winner of that category.
Winner Selection
There will be one winner in each category:
- One Dog Mayor
- One Cat Mayor
- One Stuffie Mayor
There are no runner-up prizes.
Tie-Breaker:If two or more candidates in the same category are tied when voting closes, the entry that was entered in the contest first will be the winner.
There will not be co-mayors in a tied category.
Campaign Trail Signs
Participants are encouraged to campaign for their Pet Mayor candidate in person at the Arboretum with a small self made sign.
Campaign signs may be placed along the Arboretum's designated "Campaign Trail", subject to Arboretum placement rules and available space.
Signs may be no larger than 18" x 24". A 12" x 18" sign is welcomed.
Signs must be placed on the grass only, within 2 feet of the walking path, unless otherwise directed by the Arboretum. No signs are allowed in the gardens, beds, or outside of the designated "campaign trail" marker signs.
Each sign should include:
- Candidate photo
- Candidate name
- Campaign slogan and/or humorous platform promises
- QR code linking to the candidate's voting page or contest voting page
The QR code and sign instructions will be provided through the contest instructions.
Campaign signs must be family-friendly, respectful, and appropriate for a public garden setting.
Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens reserves the right to remove any sign that is oversized, damaged, unsafe, placed outside approved areas, missing required information, or deemed inappropriate.
Participants are responsible for removing their campaign signs after the contest unless otherwise directed by the Arboretum.
Campaign Conduct
This contest is meant to be fun, positive, and community-focused.
Participants are encouraged to campaign with humor, creativity, and kindness.
Campaign slogans and platform promises may be silly, playful, or pet-themed, but they must remain family-friendly.
Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens reserves the right to remove or reject any entry, sign, slogan, comment, or campaign material that is negative, harassing, discriminatory, offensive, political in a divisive manner, inappropriate, or inconsistent with the spirit of the event.
Winner Announcement
Winners will be announced on October 17, 2026 between 10am-12pm during Autumn Fest Family Fun Day at the Evergreen Arboretum.
Winners are encouraged to attend, but attendance is not required to win.
General Terms
Entry fees and voting donations are donations to the fundraiser and are non-refundable.
Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens reserves the right to review voting activity and disqualify votes or entries if there is evidence of fraud, manipulation, abuse, technical misuse, or conduct inconsistent with the purpose of the fundraiser.
Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens is not responsible for technical issues, internet delays, incomplete submissions, user error, payment-processing delays, platform outages, or other circumstances outside its control.
All decisions by Evergreen Arboretum & Gardens regarding eligibility, entry approval, photo approval, sign placement, vote count, winner confirmation, prize fulfillment, and interpretation of these rules are final.