UPDATE: Our 2012 Halloween contest has started. Win up to $1,000 for your favorite shelter or rescue! » More info
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After much deliberation, we’re ready to announce the lucky 13 winners of the Pets Adviser & DogTime Media Halloween Pets Photo Contest. Drum roll please…
Rocket (click for larger version without the yellow thingy)
Grand Prize Winner — Rocketini!
The Pets Adviser panel of judges chose Rocketini for the Grand Prize. Mary Kern submitted the photo of her dog, better known as Rocket, a border collie and a real “momma pleaser.” Mary will receive a $500 donation to the nonprofit animal rescue or shelter of her choice, courtesy of DogTime Media.
Mary tells us she plans to direct her donation to Chako Pit Bull Advocacy and Rescue in the Sacramento, California, area. Chako is a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes responsible dog ownership, stands against breed discrimination and finds good homes for pit bulls in need.
Rocketini stole the hearts of the official Pets Adviser panel of judges with his big smile and super-creative costume. Who knew a dog could ever look happy wearing the cone of shame? Mary will also receive a $25 cash award (courtesy of Pets Adviser) and a selection of dog treats from Terra Paws.
- Don’t Miss: 18 Awesome Dog Halloween Costumes, 2011
Best Dog Photo — Donald Dog “Pawz” Dispenser
Rina
Donald Dog Pawz Dispenser is the clear winner of the Best Dog Photo prize, receiving an eye-popping 1,562 votes in vote count for this prize. Judy Fridono submitted this photo of Rina (that’s her underneath all the feathers!), a golden/Lab mix disguised for Halloween as a treat dispenser. Rina is a goal-directed therapy dog who often tags along with her sister, Ricochet, a “SURFice dog.” Both dogs and their mom help raise awareness and money for human and animal causes. Judy and her pups have raised more than $100,000 and counting! Incredible.
Because of the overwhelming popular vote for Rina, Pets Adviser was moved to bestow a new prize: A $200 donation to the animal shelter/rescue of Judy’s choice. We felt it was only fair considering how many votes this photo got. Plus, well, we’re suckers for handing out prizes here at Pets Adviser. Judy will also receive several bags of treats from Terra Paws.
Best Cat Photo — Kitty Gaga
Blizzard
Kitty Gaga, aka Blizzard, received the most votes for Best Cat Photo by far, with a total of 264. We’re not surprised by her huge fan club — the costume is rockin’, and even though this is a Lady Gaga spoof, the costume isn’t made of meat! Blizzard’s human companion, Victoria Hirschberg, will receive a $25 cash award (courtesy of Pets Adviser) and some AWESOME cat toys and treats from both Tipsy Nip & H.J. Mews.
You can follow Blizzard on Twitter (@Blizzard_Cat). Victoria says it wasn’t easy getting her cat to pose for the picture. “It’s 100 times more difficult to get a cat to cooperate for a photo shoot (with wig, cape, ribbon, disco stick) than a dog,” she told us. “Luckily, Blizzard listens when you put a can of wet food in front of her face.”
Honorable Mentions
The Pets Adviser judging panel chose 10 more finalists for honorable mention, each of whom will receive a prize of pet treats or a toy from Terra Paws or Tipsy Nip. Congrats to the following entrants!
- Willie Wonka & Oompa Loompa, Nikki Grosso
- Dogzilla, Michelle Bird
- Hairy Potters, Lisa Sumja
- Teddy Bear Kitten, Jennifer Callaghan
- Pirate Dog, Amy Hetzer
- Robin Hood, Anne Schwarz
- Princesses Eugenie & Beatrice, Sara A. (our very first entry!)
- Brutus Buckeye, Diane Conlin
- Grape Apes, Ashley Clark
- Halloweenies — Yellow Submarine & Bull, Ernand Dabuet
Random Drawing
Finally, because we just love prizes (did we mention that?!), we couldn’t resist giving out two more. In a random drawing of people who clicked the Google +1 button atop our site, Elizabeth Popwell and Anyel Torres won some dog toys.
All 15 winners will be contacted soon by email for details on receiving their prizes.
Once again, we’d like to thank ALL of our many entrants who didn’t quite make the cut (it was so hard to pick just 25!) as well as our finalists, our winners and the many hundreds of people who cast votes. We’d also like to thank the official Pets Adviser panel of judges for making a tough call about the Grand Prize winner, even though there were so many amazing photos to choose from.
In all, Pets Adviser and our sponsors gave away more than $1,500 worth of prizes this year! Wow! Naturally, we can’t wait till next year’s contest, which promises to be bigger and better and will feature even more mind-blowing photos and prizes.
Additional Information
