Nearly everyone thinks their pet is the fairest of them all. Now you can prove it while having some fun and serving a noble cause.

San Diego Humane Society’s 30th annual Photo Fundraiser is open for submissions and voting for your favorite pet’s favorite photo can be done now through the end of August.

Participating is easy. Submit your favorite pet photo at sdhumane.org/photocontest and encourage your family and friends to vote for your pet’s picture through Aug. 31.

The SDHS fundraiser generates money for the organization’s vital services, which include animal sheltering and adoptions, investigations of animal cruelty and neglect, veterinary care, education programs for youth and adults, the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, and more.

Prizes include having your pet featured on a full-month spread of San Diego Humane Society’s 2023 calendar, a professional photo shoot for your pet, tickets to the organization’s annual Fur Ball gala on Oct. 1, and other special gifts. All photo entries with five votes or more are guaranteed inclusion in the calendar or on the collage pages.
“The Photo Fundraiser is one of our favorite campaigns because it gives the community an opportunity to support our lifesaving work, while also taking part in a friendly competition showcasing their favorite animals,” said senior vice president and chief philanthropy and communications officer Brian Daugherty. “We’re halfway to our goal of raising $110,000 to help us save more lives. We encourage everyone to enter their best pet photos and to get their family and friends to vote.”

SDHS spokesperson Nina Thompson noted summer is the busiest time for the animal welfare nonprofit. “There is a peak in July for business because that is when kittens, puppies, and wildlife babies are being born,” she said pointing out this is one of many reasons why the photo fundraiser is important, as well as being easy to do.

“When you submit your pet photo you get a profile with your pet’s name that you can share on different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, to ask friends and family to vote for your pet with just a click of a button,” said Thompson. “The sooner you enter – the more time you have to get votes by Aug. 31.

Thompson said there are no restrictions on the types of pet photos that can be submitted. “It can be any type of animal or multiple animals, and they can be dressed up,” she said. “Whatever type of photo you think is going to be the best vote-getter. Last year, we had 944 photo entries and the top winner was Mr. Puff (above), a cat, who solicited 19,771 votes, almost double the second biggest vote-getter, who had about 10,000 votes.”

Thompson noted that SDHS’ biggest fundraiser, the Fur Ball, brought in $1 million last year.

SDHS is especially busy right now in mid-summer. “We have more than 600 animals available for adoption, which is why fees were lowered all through July with fees being waived all together the last week of July,” said Thompson. “The hope was we could get more people in the door.”

With campuses in El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, Ramona, and San Diego, SDHS provides animal services for 14 cities within San Diego County. The organization not only cares for more than 40,000 companion and wild animals in its communities annually but also shares the expertise they have gained through their innovative programs with shelters nationwide so they can save more lives in their communities.
SDHS’ scope of social responsibility goes beyond adopting animals. The organization offers programs that strengthen the human-animal bond, prevent cruelty and neglect, provide medical care, educate the community and serve as a safety net for all pet families. For more information, visit sdhumane.org.

BENEFITS OF ADOPTING FROM SAN DIEGO HUMANE SOCIETY
*   You know you’re getting an animal who has been properly assessed and cared for.
*   Your pet has been spayed/neutered and vaccinated.
*   San Diego Humane Society offers an adoption guarantee, training advice, pet supplies, and educational information to support pet families for the life of the animal.
*   You can contact our Behavior Helpline to get expert guidance about behavior or training concerns.
*   By adopting, you’ll help create space in the shelter for other animals in need.