No donation, purchase, or obligation of any kind is necessary to win The Humane Society of the United States' (HSUS) Pet Photo Contest, sponsored by Nature's Miracle and Zoombak. A donation or purchase will not increase your chances of winning. To enter the Contest, follow the steps at humanesociety.org/spayday. These steps ask you to supply certain information about your pet and about yourself, and then upload your photograph. The requested information includes a brief description of how your pet has improved your life. To be accepted into the Contest, you must provide all requested information.

Submitted images and written descriptions must be the original creations of the entrant. Written descriptions must be in English. The HSUS reserves the right to reject any Contest submission if it does not meet the eligibility requirements described later in these Rules, or for any other reason at our sole discretion. If your entry is rejected, it will be removed from the Contest website and we will notify you via automated email.

You must complete a separate registration for every photograph you wish to enter. You must use the process described at humanesociety.org/spayday to enter the Contest. We're sorry, but we will discard any photographs that are emailed to us or sent to us via the U.S. Mail. Once submitted, your entry cannot be deleted from the Contest.

All entries must be submitted by midnight, Eastern Time, on Friday, March 7, 2008. Voting for the Contest also ends at midnight, Eastern Time, on Friday, March 7, 2008.

The Contest is subject to all applicable national, federal, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. Contestants who are 13 and under on February 1, 2008, may participate in the Contest with their parents' or guardian's assistance. Employees and family members of The HSUS and its affiliates, vendors of The HSUS and its affiliates, Nature's Miracle, Zoombak LLC, Amanda Jones, Inc., Janie Coleman, Kirk Fanelly, Sandra Merwin, Amanda Moeckel, and John Paul Pet are not eligible.

Out of concern for wild animals who are either captured from the wild or bred in captivity, the Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest is limited to the following species of pets: dog, cat, rabbit, horse, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig, ferret, mouse, rat, canary, parakeet, cockatiel, zebra finch, society finch, lovebird, freshwater aquarium fish. Certain other types of animals, such as those commonly kept as farm animals, are also ineligible to be entered into this Contest. Images that include any animal species other than those listed above will be removed from the Contest.

Any image that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, or obscene, as determined by the staff of The HSUS in their sole discretion, will be removed from the Contest.

Contest entrants can garner votes for their pet in an effort to win some of the Contest prizes. After you submit your entry, you will be provided with a URL of your pet's individual Contest page. To ask your friends and family members to vote, you can pass this URL on to friends or use the "Tell-A-Friend" form on the Contest website. The HSUS will also send you an email featuring your pet's picture, with instructions on how to solicit votes.

Your pet's picture can only receive one vote per email address. To vote, individuals must provide their email address. Any attempt to circumvent this and other Contest rules is grounds for disqualification from receiving Contest prizes.

The top 500 vote-getters are those pets who receive the most individual votes as of midnight, Eastern Time, on Friday, March 7, 2008. (Note: The top 500 vote-getters on that date may not be the actual top 500 vote-getters once duplicate emails and ineligible entries, such as those submitted by individuals less than 13 years of age in certain states, are removed.)

Staff of The Humane Society of the United States will select the best 36 images and descriptions; entries will be judged on the quality of the image, the quality of the story explaining how this pet improves the Contestant's life, and how well the image captures the life-enhancing qualities of the pet. Those 36 finalists will then be forwarded to our panel of celebrity judges, who will also judge the entries on these three criteria. The Grand Prize winner, 10 Finalists, and 25 Honorable Mention awardees will be announced via email to all Contest participants on or after Wednesday, March 23, 2008. The winners will also be announced at humanesociety.org/spayday on or after March 23, 2008.

The Winners will be selected by March 19, 2008, and will be notified by telephone and/or email by March 27, 2008. In the event that a Winner is unable to accept a Prize, an alternate Winner will be selected. The Winner may be required to complete and sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability Release, and, where legal, a Publicity Release, all of which must be returned within 30 days of attempted prize notification or the prize will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. If the Prize is won by an eligible person who is not of legal age in the state of residence, the prize shall be awarded in the name of the Winner's parent or legal guardian, who must sign and return all required documentation prior to receiving the Prize. In the event of noncompliance with these Rules, or if a Prize or prize notification is unclaimed or returned as undeliverable, the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to an alternate winner.

Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of Prizes is permitted except at the sole discretion of The HSUS. Any federal, state, or local taxes on Prizes and any expenses related to the acceptance and/or use of the Prizes not specified herein as being awarded are the responsibility of the Winner.

Prizes will be awarded to the Grand Prize winner, 10 Finalists, and 25 Honorable Mentions. Prizes will also be awarded to the top 500 vote-getters. The top 500 vote-getters will also be entered into a drawing to win one of 10 additional prizes.

The Grand Prize winner, 10 Finalists, and 25 Honorable Mentions will be selected by our panel of celebrity judges. The Grand Prize winner will receive:

1. A portrait session for their pet with Amanda Jones, one of the premier pet photographers in the U.S. The portrait session includes: the portrait session, the proof sheets and five final prints of the winner's choice. The portraits are shot in both color and black and white. Included are two 8 x 8-inch prints and three 5 x 5-inch prints. Or the winner may use the credit of the prints towards any other print combination or merchandise. The session will take place at a regularly scheduled session or at an individual session at a time and place to be determined by the winner and the photographer. Valued at more than $1400, this prize is courtesy of Amanda Jones Amanda Jones.
2. A selection of products from Nature's Miracle Nature's Miracle. Valued at $80, this prize is courtesy of Nature's Miracle Nature's Miracle.
3. An Advanced GPS Dog Locator. The Advanced GPS Dog Locator is a small, lightweight, water-resistant locator that attaches comfortably to your dog's collar with a durable and secure pouch. You can pinpoint your dog's location on-demand via Zoombak.com, mobile phone or live customer care. Valued at $200, this prize is courtesy of Zoombak.
4. A $1000 shopping spree to Humane Domain, The HSUS's online store. Valued at $1000, this prize is courtesy of Humane Domain.
5. The privilege of awarding a $5000 grant for spay/neuter services to one of the nonprofit organizations participating in Spay Day USA.

International entrants will be ineligible to receive the custom photo by Amanda Jones and the Zoombak Advanced GPS Dog Locator. Instead, he or she will receive a custom portrait of their pet based on the winning image of his or her pet.

The Top 10 finalists will each receive a custom portrait of their pet by artists Janie Coleman or Kirk Fanelly. Each painting will be based on the image submitted to the Contest. Each work will be an 11" x 14" oil portrait. Valued at $500, the prizes are courtesy of Janie Coleman and Kirk Fanelly. Winners will receive a gift certificate that expires one year from the date it was issued, and winners will be matched with one of the artists at The HSUS's discretion. Holiday orders must be placed by October 15, 2008.

The 25 Honorable Mention winners will each receive a gift bag with a selection of products from Nature's Miracle Nature's Miracle and John Paul Pet and a Zoombak Advanced GPS Dog Locator. The gift bags will be mailed to the address provided when entering the Contest. The gift bag is valued at approximately $350, and is courtesy of Nature's Miracle Nature's Miracle, John Paul Pet, and Zoombak.

The Top 500 vote-getters will each receive a free bottle of Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover.

The Top 500 vote-getters will be entered into a drawing to receive one of ten custom portraits by artists Sandra Merwin or Amanda Moeckel. Each work by Sandra Merwin will be a 5 x 7-inch pen and ink drawing with a watercolor wash. Each work by Amanda Moeckel will be a 12 x 16-inch charcoal drawing. Each portrait will be based on the image submitted to the Contest. Valued at $125, the prizes are courtesy of Sandra Merwin and Amanda Moeckel. Winners will receive a gift certificate that expires one year from the date it was issued, and winners will be matched with one of the artists at The HSUS's discretion. Holiday orders must be placed by October 15, 2008.

Use of Email Addresses

Email addresses entered by Contest participants will be used only for communications related to the Contest. Email addresses entered by voters will not be used for any purpose other than enforcing the one-vote-per-email-address requirement. Both Contest participants and voters can opt-in, separately, to receive pet tips, action alerts, and special offers via email from The HSUS. If they choose to do so, they will be able to quickly and easily "opt out" of future such communications by following the instructions on any electronic communication we send. The HSUS and its affiliates do not sell, rent, trade, or share its email addresses with any third parties.

Tracking Your Pet's Progress in the Contest

Any pet in the Contest can be located using the "Search for a Pet" function found at on the Search/Vote page [link to Search/Vote page]. Go to that page, enter a pet's name, owner's last name, city, state, or country in the search field and choose a search choice from the drop-down menu below the search field. In the search results, the number of votes the pet has received appears below the image of the pet. On the same page, you can choose to see the images in order of "most votes received," by choosing "Most Votes" from the drop-down menu next to the word "Sort." The top vote-getters will be displayed on this page in "real time" beginning on February 1, 2008.

Use of Images

Warranties. When you enter the Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest, you warrant that the photograph is original, that you are the sole owner and copyright holder of that photograph, and that you have not granted exclusive rights of that photograph to any other person or entity. You also warrant that the photograph does not invade the right of privacy of any individual; does not infringe any trademark, trade name, trade secret, intellectual property right, or other common law or statutory right; nor does it contain any material that otherwise violates any criminal prohibition or the personal or proprietary rights of any person or entity.

Grant of Rights in Connection with the Contest. By entering the Contest, you agree to grant to The HSUS, its legal representatives, successors, and assigns, the nonexclusive right and permission to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, publish, and distribute the photograph, or any portion thereof, throughout the world, in any printed form and by any kind of mechanical or electronic or any other method or device of reproduction, publication, and distribution known or later developed, during the full term of the copyright, and without notification or payment, in connection with the Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest, The HSUS agrees to attribute authorship and copyright ownership to you when it publishes and distributes the photograph you submitted. The HSUS also agrees that it will never sell the photograph or rights in the photograph to any individual or entity.

Grant of Rights for Additional Purposes. By checking the appropriate box in Step 4 of the Contest entry process, you also agree to grant to The HSUS, its legal representatives, successors, and assigns, the nonexclusive right and permission to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, publish, and distribute the photograph, or any portion thereof, throughout the world, in any printed form and by any kind of mechanical or electronic or any other method or device of reproduction, publication, and distribution known or later developed, during the full term of the copyright, and without notification or payment. The HSUS agrees to attribute authorship and copyright ownership to you when it publishes and distributes the photograph you submitted. The HSUS also agrees that it will never sell the photograph or rights in the photograph to any individual or entity.

Use of Descriptions

When you enter the Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest, you warrant that the description of how your pet improves your life is original, that you are the sole author and copyright holder of the description, and that you have not granted exclusive rights in that description to any other person or entity. You also warrant that the description contains no defamatory material or injurious instructions; does not invade the right of privacy of any individual; does not infringe any trademark, trade name, trade secret, intellectual property right, or other common law or statutory right; nor does it contain any material that otherwise violates any criminal prohibition or the personal or proprietary rights of any person or entity.

You also agree to grant to The HSUS, its legal representatives, successors, and assigns, the nonexclusive right and permission to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and distribute the description, or any portion thereof, throughout the world, in any printed form and by any kind of mechanical or electronic or any other method or device of reproduction, publication, and distribution known or later developed, during the full term of the copyright, and without notification or payment, as part of and in connection with the Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest. The HSUS will not use your description for any purposes not connected with the Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest. The HSUS will never sell the description or rights in the description to any individual or entity. The HSUS agrees to attribute authorship and copyright ownership to you when it publishes and distributes the description you submitted.

Additional Terms

By accepting a prize, the Winner consents to The HSUS's use of his or her name, likeness, voice, and/or biographical information for promotional and other purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. The Winner, by acceptance of any prize, acknowledges compliance with these Rules and agrees to release The HSUS, its affiliates, and its officers, directors, employees, independent contractors, representatives, and agents, and Nature's Miracle, Zoombak LLC, Amanda Jones, Inc., Janie Coleman, Kirk Fanelly, Sandra Merwin, Amanda Moeckel, and John Paul Pet ("Releasees") from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or the receipt, redemption, or use of any prize, including any injuries or damages of any kind sustained in connection with the use, acceptance, possession, or awarding of any prize.

Limitation of Liability

Releasees are not responsible for printing, typographical, human or other errors of any kind in any Contest-related materials or for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, or illegible entries. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, or infection by computer viruses, bugs, or tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, actions of entrants, technical failures, or any other causes corrupt or infect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, The HSUS reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any entry or entrant and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest and at its sole discretion award a prize from among all eligible non-suspect entries validly received prior to the action requiring such modification. By entering, all Contestants agree that the Contest is governed by laws of the District of Columbia for the resolution of all claims and disputes (excluding any claims against or disputes involving parties other than The HSUS relating to any prize awarded in the Contest).

List of Winners

For the name of the Winner, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Spay Day USA Pet Photo Contest, The Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Requests must be received by April 30, 2008.

Questions?

If you have a question about the Contest that is not covered above, please read our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have any other questions about the Contest, please email us at spayday@humanesociety.org. We'll do our best to respond in a timely fashion. Thanks for participating and for your interest in the valuable animal protection programs of The Humane Society of the United States!