Search is Underway to Locate Pet Stars for 2014 Calendar

Humane Society of Harford County Launches Contest to Raise Funds for Homeless Animals

For Immediate ReleaseMAX Cover Winner

Contact: Mary Leavens
Humane Society of Harford County
410-836-1090, x101
[email protected]

Fallston, MD (September 17, 2013) – Peeking out from underneath a shrub, the winner of last year’s Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) calendar contest, Max, could be mistaken for a statue. But this stately cat had a less than noble beginning. “Max was six-months old when I adopted him and his brother Chip from a local rescue after someone poisoned their mother,” said Doris Browning Walker. Now, five years later, Browning Walker reports that Max “is a very loving cat, who likes to talk a lot!”

HSHC recently launched its 4th annual “Make Your Pet a Pin-Up” calendar contest, and the search is on to find a pet or pets for the cover of the 2014 calendar. To enter pet photo(s) online and view the other entries, click here. The contest is not just open to dogs and cats – photos of pets of any kind are welcomed and encouraged. The contest officially began on September 15, and will conclude on November 10th at 11:59 p.m. EST.

The pet photo with the most votes (donations) at the end of the contest will be awarded the cover page of the calendar and two tickets to the 2014 Bow Wow Boogie, Harford County’s largest gala for homeless and neglected animals. The pet that finishes in second place will be January’s photo of the month and will receive 5 free calendars. The third place winner will be February’s pet of the month and will receive 2 free calendars. The fourth through thirteenth place winners will each be featured as a pet of the month. Entries that do not win will be featured in a collage page inside the 2014 calendar.

To enter pet photo(s) online, click here.  A minimum $10 donation is required per photo. Enter as many photos as you like, but photos must contain animals only, please. Entries may also be submitted through the US mail to the Humane Society of Harford County’s Calendar Contest, 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, MD 21047 with the appropriate donation amount ($10 minimum per photo). Entries must be postmarked by November 1, 2013 and will appear online within 48 hours of receipt. A complete list of contest rules is available by clicking here.

After submitting a photo, entrants have the opportunity to send an email with a unique URL to friends and family members to vote for their photo. Votes are $1 per vote with a minimum of five votes. Voters can apply all of their votes to one image or divide them across any number of pets’ entries. Votes can also be sent through the US mail to the Humane Society of Harford County’s Calendar Contest, 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, MD 21047 with the appropriate donation amount (votes are $1 each, with a minimum $5 donation for five votes). Include a note with the check stating the pet’s name, the owner’s name, your phone number and how you want your votes distributed. Votes must be postmarked by November 1, 2013 and will be reflected online within 48 hours of receipt.

Businesses are invited to sponsor the calendar contest. The 12 month sponsorships are available for $250 each. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, click here.

Pre-order the 2014 calendar now for just $10 each or ten for $75. Calendars will be ready for pick-up by the end of November. Order forms are available here.

The contest is a major fundraiser, with all proceeds benefitting the thousands of animals HSHC shelters each year. Entry fees as well as votes are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Let the fun begin!

About the Humane Society of Harford County
The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the approximately 4,500 animals that come to us each year. We promote the kind treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions, and community education. We are not a county agency nor are we affiliated with any national or regional organization. Your tax-deductible donations, bequests, and proceeds from events are crucial to our life-saving efforts on behalf of the animals of our community.