Pet calendar contest
Bougie Pet Pawtography is happy to announce its 2026 pet calendar contest in support of the Humane Society of Hobart!
We've got some fun new additions this year!
We've got some fun new additions this year!
What's new?
This year, we want to raise even MORE for the Humane Society of Hobart—here's how we plan to do it!
- More pets can enterFor the 2026 calendar contest, all small companion animals may enter, as long as they can (1) fit through a standard-size door and (2) not scratch our studio space floors!
This includes dogs, cats, and non-wildlife animals that are typically kept as indoor pets (rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, and other pets that can safely and comfortably be accommodated in our indoor photography studio).
Note: For the safety and comfort of all participants, farm animals, livestock, and exotic pets are not eligible (such as goats, sheep, pigs, large reptiles, and birds of prey). Additionally, all pets must be house-trained (if applicable) and able to participate in an indoor studio setting without posing a health or safety risk.#1
Eligible animals
Here are just some of the animals that can (and can't) enter.
- New ways to play
1) Just like last year, you can participate in the photo contest.- Enter your pet,
- Get friends and family to vote,
- The top vote-getters will be featured in the 2026 calendar!
2) For 2026, we have a NEW community calendar which features:- Pet tributes,
- Birthdays,
- Messages,
- Business promos,
- And more!
We'll get into more details on both of these in a minute, but first, let's talk about the last new feature for this year's contest.#2
- New calendar options for sale
This year there will be three calendar options for sale:- The HSH calendar—Just like the 2025 calendar, this one will showcase all the winners, as well as HSH facts, winner birthdays, and winner stories.
- The HSH community calendar—This one will feature all the winners PLUS all sold dates from the bumpsale (more on that later), to include pet tributes, birthdays, messages, business promos, etc.
- The art calendar—A sleek, high-end version of the calendar focused on artistic pet photography of all the winners.
#3
The calendar options
For 2026, we'll be selling three calendar options to showcase the winners and hopefully raise even more for HSH!
Note that the final designs may be different. The ones included below are for illustration purposes only.
Shoutout to the 2025 winners pictured here—Mozzie, Zero, Shelby, and Blazer—a few of the original thirteen, the OGs. We hope to see you all back for 2026!
Ready to play?
Click through for three ways to play (pull-down on mobile, tabs on desktop)—enter your pet, add to the community calendar, and vote!
(And then, of course, buy a calendar, so technically, there are four ways to play.)
(And then, of course, buy a calendar, so technically, there are four ways to play.)
Enter your pet
Ready to enter your dog, cat, rabbit, ferret, guinea pig, or other small companion animal for the 2026 HSH pet calendar contest? Be sure to read the contest rules, and then enter your bougie pet by clicking the link below!
P.S. That's Mozzie, the 2025 cover boy!
P.S. That's Mozzie, the 2025 cover boy!
Add to the community calendar
We mentioned there will be three calendar options supporters can purchase for 2026:
- the HSH calendar,
- the HSH community calendar, and
- the art calendar.
The community one is where we hope to raise even MORE money for the Humane Society of Hobart this year!
Here's how. Bumpsales.
- At the start of the contest (midnight on April 1, 2025), the community calendar "bumpsale" starts. Here's how it works.
- The first buyer pays $1 and can pick any day of the 2026 community calendar to place a message or promotion (personal or business—and there are terms for what's acceptable). For example, it can be a birthday message, a tribute to someone or to a lost pet, or a business promotion for a specific day or event. (Note that you have three minutes to check out or your cart is released to the next buyer.)
- The second buyer pays $2 and can pick any of the remaining available days from the 2026 community calendar to place a message or promotion.
- The third buyer pays $3, and so on.
- It continues this way until the last sale ($365).
- If we're able to sell all the spots in the 2026 HSH community calendar, we'll raise $66,795 from this portion of the contest alone! (And we still have the entries, votes, and sales!)
Important things to know:
- If you want a particular day, be here early! It's first-come, first-serve, and days will go in buyer order.
- You have three minutes to check out, and then your cart can go to the next buyer (if there's one waiting).
- Read the community calendar terms. There are rules for what we will publish.
- This is for the HSH community calendar ONLY. Messages and promotions will not be added to the HSH calendar or the art calendar.
Vote for your favs!
It's hard to stay impartial throughout the contest, and we expect Year 2 to be even harder since we'll likely know even more of the participants and their owners. (We're glad we don't have to vote!) Here are some of last year's contestants—and winners, as all these pups ended up in the calendar (clockwise from top left: Beans, Sunshine, Frank, and Harvey)! We hope to see them all back this year.
FAQ, Rules, & Prizes
Important things to know below. Please read.
Pet calendar contest rules
To keep the contest fair and consistent, we will make NO EXCEPTIONS to the contest rules.
Entries
Voting
Calendar photo session
Mini contests
The fine print
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To keep the contest fair and consistent, we will make NO EXCEPTIONS to the contest rules.
Entries
- Each entry is five dollars ($5).
- All photo entries will be included in a photo collage on the cover of the 2026 HSH calendar and the 2026 HSH community calendar.
- We are accepting dogs, cats, and small companion animals for the 2026 calendar. Small companion animals include, but are not limited to, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs. Limit of one (1) pet per photo entry. People are not allowed in photos, only your pet. Photos that do not follow these rules will not be eligible to win, with no opportunity for a refund. For the safety and comfort of all participants, farm animals, livestock, and exotic pets (such as goats, sheep, pigs, large reptiles, and birds of prey) are not eligible. Additionally, all pets must be house-trained (if applicable) and able to participate in an indoor studio setting without posing a health or safety risk.
- All photos must be in digital format (jpg, png, etc.) and uploaded to the contest site; we cannot accept printed photos. We cannot accept any copyrighted or professional photos.
- Entries may be submitted for the entire month of April 2025, starting Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 12 AM (midnight) Central Time and ending Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 12 AM (midnight) Central Time.
- Contest entry fees are tax deductible. The email acknowledgment of your online donation serves as your tax receipt.
- Any photograph that includes content that is deemed inappropriate, indecent, or obscene, as determined by Bougie Pet Pawtography, at its sole discretion, will be removed from the contest with no opportunity for a refund.
- 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 12 entries that receive the most votes. The same pet can only win once. Attempts to win two spots in the calendar by the same pet will not be permitted.
- Once entered, photos may be used by the Humane Society of Hobart (HSH) and Bougie Pet Pawtography at their discretion for print and marketing purposes.
Voting
- Each one dollar ($1) donation counts as one (1) vote, unless otherwise noted during a mini contest period.
- All donations from voting are non-refundable. Entries and donations must be made via the online contest page. Contest payments are made through a secure site.
- Contest votes are tax deductible. The email acknowledgment of your online donation serves as your tax receipt.
- 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 runs the entire month of April 2025, starting Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 12 AM (midnight) Central Time and ending Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 12 AM (midnight) Central Time.
Calendar photo session
- The top twelve (12) vote-getters will win a professional on-location photo session by Bougie Pet Pawtography at a pre-selected location in the Northwest Indiana area during pre-selected session dates in Spring/Summer 2025.
- The photo session for each winning pet will be a maximum of thirty (30) minutes in length. Bougie Pet Pawtography may decide to extend a pet's session, at its sole discretion and if time permits.
- If your pet is one of the original winners and you are unable to commit to a photo session during the pre-set session times or find yourself unable to travel to the pre-selected locations, you forfeit your pet's win, and the next top vote-getter will take your pet's spot in the calendar. If you are a no-show for your pet's photo session, you forfeit your pet's win, and the next top vote-getter will take your pet's spot in the calendar. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- In the unfortunate event that a winning pet dies prior to the calendar photo shoot, that pet's spot will be forfeited and offered to the next top vote-getter.
- The #1 vote-getter will have first choice of which month to be featured for the 2026 calendar.
- Winners in spots #2 through #12 will be featured for one month in the 2026 calendar, selecting their months in order of placement (e.g., second place chooses second, third place chooses third, etc.).
- Bougie Pet Pawtography will choose the best image of each pet to be used in the calendar.
- Digitals/Prints/Artwork of a winning pet's photo session photos will be available for purchase an estimated 2-4 weeks after the last calendar photo shoot. Bougie Pet Pawtography will notify you when your pet's photos are available for purchase. As noted in "The fine print" below, calendars will be made available for purchase to the general public starting late-2025 (estimated to be around September).
Mini contests
- At the sole discretion of Bougie Pet Pawtography, we may run occasional "mini contests" within the overall pet calendar contest.
- The terms and prizes of each mini contest will be posted at the start of each mini contest. (For example, we might run a one-week mini contest where the pet that receives the highest number of new votes within that week will win a mini contest prize from a sponsoring business.)
- Each pet may only win one (1) mini contest during the overall pet calendar contest.
- In the event of a tie, a random computerized draw will be held between the highest vote-getters of the mini contest to determine the winner.
- In the event there are no new votes for a given mini contest, a random computerized draw will be held for all entered pets of the overall pet calendar contest.
- Certain restrictions and limitations may apply to businesses that sponsor the mini contests and may vary by business. The Humane Society of Hobart (HSH) and Bougie Pet Pawtography are not responsible for these restrictions and eligibility requirements, as determined by each sponsoring business.
The fine print
- By submitting a photo entry, you warrant and represent that your entry is your own original work, created by you, 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 made available for purchase to the general public starting late-2025 (estimated to be around September).
- By participating in the overall pet calendar contest, as well as any mini contests conducted within it, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Humane Society of Hobart (HSH) and Bougie Pet Pawtography, as well as each of their respective owners, officers, directors, representatives, volunteers, and agents (the "released parties") from and against any claims of any nature arising out of participation in the contest or receipt or use of any prize.
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Pet calendar contest prizes
Winners of the 2026 HSH pet calendar contest will be the top twelve (12) entrants that get the most votes. Please see contest rules for full details.
Winners of the 2026 HSH pet calendar contest will be the top twelve (12) entrants that get the most votes. Please see contest rules for full details.
- The #1 vote-getter will have choice of month for the 2026 calendar.
- Winners #2 through #12 will select their month in order of placement (e.g., second place chooses second, third place chooses third, etc.).
- All winners will be professionally photographed by Bougie Pet Pawtography and will be included in all three versions of the 2026 calendar—the HSH calendar, the HSH community calendar, and the art calendar.
- All winners will receive a complimentary copy of the 2026 HSH calendar.
We are accepting dogs, cats, and small companion animals for the 2026 calendar. Small companion animals include, but are not limited to, rabbits, ferrets, and guinea pigs. Limit of one (1) pet per photo entry. People are not allowed in photos, only your pet. Photos that do not follow these rules will not be eligible to win, with no opportunity for a refund. For the safety and comfort of all participants, farm animals, livestock, and exotic pets (such as goats, sheep, pigs, large reptiles, and birds of prey) are not eligible. Additionally, all pets must be house-trained (if applicable) and able to participate in an indoor studio setting without posing a health or safety risk. (Still sorry, screaming hairy armadillos and spitting goats. Maybe next year.)
Yes, but there is a limit of one (1) pet per photo entry. Also, people are not allowed in photos, only your pet. Photos that do not follow these rules will be removed, will not be eligible to win, and will not receive a refund. Please read the contest rules for all the details.
To help raise money for HSH and honor a belated pet, it is permissible to enter him or her in the contest. However, if he or she wins, the spot will be forfeited and given to the next top vote-getter. You might consider adding him or her to the HSH community calendar instead in the form of a tribute.
Winners of the pet calendar contest will be the top twelve (12) entrants that get the most votes. Please see contest rules for full details.
- The #1 vote-getter will have choice of month for the 2026 calendar.
- Winners #2 through #12 will select their month in order of placement (e.g., second place chooses second, third place chooses third, etc.).
- All winners will be professionally photographed by Bougie Pet Pawtography and will be included in all three versions of the 2026 calendar—the HSH calendar, the HSH community calendar, and the art calendar.
- All winners will receive a complimentary copy of the 2026 HSH calendar.
Contest entries, contest votes, and community calendar bumpsales/entries may be submitted for the entire month of April 2025, starting Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 12 AM (midnight) Central Time and ending Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 12 AM (midnight) Central Time.
Complimentary calendar contest mini sessions will be held on pre-determined dates in Spring/Summer 2025 at a pre-determined location within Northwest Indiana. Exact details will be provided to winners upon completion of the calendar contest.
Yes, anyone can enter, as long as you (a) follow the contest rules and (b) understand that if you are not from Northwest Indiana and your pet is a contest winner, you will be required to travel to Northwest Indiana for one of the pre-set dates for the calendar photo shoot or forfeit your pet's win.
Note: Two other ways to play along, if you're not from the area, (1) vote for your favorite pets, and/or (2) consider adding to the community calendar. Both of those options add to our fundraising efforts for HSH and wouldn't require travel for a photoshoot this Spring/Summer.
Note: Two other ways to play along, if you're not from the area, (1) vote for your favorite pets, and/or (2) consider adding to the community calendar. Both of those options add to our fundraising efforts for HSH and wouldn't require travel for a photoshoot this Spring/Summer.
- The HSH calendar for 2026 will be similar (in content) to the first year's calendar. It will include the contest winners' photos, HSH facts, winner birthdays, and winner stories.
- The HSH community calendar will include tributes, birthdays, business promos and sponsorships, community events, etc. So, for example, anyone can purchase a day in the community calendar to wish someone (a friend, family member, pet) a happy birthday. We'll be "bumpselling" all the days over the course of the contest, with the goal of raising even more money for HSH this year!
It means the price goes up with each sale. The first sale goes for $1 (for the 2026 calendar contest at least), the next goes for $2, and so on. See the HSH community calendar for more details.
All proceeds from contest entries and votes, as well as calendar sales, go to the Humane Society of Hobart for use in their day-to-day operations and to help keep the shelter going.
Nope. We even tie the payment systems directly to HSH accounts so that it goes straight to the organization. They pay costs associated with fulfillment and keep the net proceeds.
Good karma points? And maybe a few animal-loving people will get to know us through our work and word will get around. Last year we (ahem, Amber) forgot to put any mention of Bougie Pet Pawtography in the calendar, so if that doesn't tell you our intentions are pure, then we don't know what would. We love helping HSH and all the people and pets there, and we love meeting all the wonderful animal-lovers and their pets through this project. As long as that stays true and we have the time, health, and resources to do it, we'll keep doing it.
We raised around $12,000 gross.
We want to at least match what we did last year in contest entries, votes, and calendar sales, but this year, we're adding the bumpsale community calendar, too. If we can sell all 365 spots, we could raise $66,795 from that calendar alone. At that rate, we'd be at $78,795 with last year's numbers. What's possible? Could we double last year's numbers on the contest side? Now we're getting close to $100k! Can you imagine? What if we raised $100k for the little shelter? That would be crazy! Anything's possible. We had over 300 participants last year. What if we doubled that? What if we tripled it? We only need 365 days sold on the community calendar to hit the $66,795, and that's not counting whatever we make on the contest side! Might as well go bananas.
Help support HSH!
Enter your pet
vote for your favs
Spread the word
Icons by Freepik
Sponsors
Big, slobbery, shelter pup kisses to our generous sponsors for supporting this year's HSH calendar photo contest!
Promotional Partners
These folks helped us spread the word about the contest, and we want to give them some puppy love, too!
Hobart, Indiana
Crown Point, Indiana
Valparaiso, Indiana
Chesterton, Indiana
Portage / Burns Harbor, Indiana
Merrillville, Indiana
We're adding new sponsors and partners as we get them (and hopefully daily!) throughout the contest. If you want to be a sponsor or promotional partner, get in touch.
Want to donate a mini contest prize for Wagging Rights Wednesdays? Reach out. The weekly pet winner would probably love some extra cool swag! Just remember, this year all companion pets are eligible, not just pups.
Want to donate a mini contest prize for Wagging Rights Wednesdays? Reach out. The weekly pet winner would probably love some extra cool swag! Just remember, this year all companion pets are eligible, not just pups.
