30 Sep 09 Have a Priceless Picture of Your Pet? Put it to Work in One of These 6 Photo Contests

If you have a pet or spend time around animals, chances are you have a lot of photos of them (I have thousands of my dog, I'm not kidding). Why not share your photos with the world and get a chance to win a prize at the same time? Here are six photo contests (ordered by deadline date) where you and your pet can gain fame and recognition, and in several cases help support great causes.

Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest
Not overly glamorous-sounding, this annual event held by the Humane Society of the United States does support a great cause: raising funds for spaying and neutering. The contest is open to everyone, and there are two categories: Judged and Fundraisers. Prizes in the Judged category include your photo featured in print and online, and gift certificates to Humane Domain, HSUS' online store. In the Fundraisers category, 500 winners are picked, and prizes here include a studio session with renowned pet photographer Amanda Jones, custom paintings of your pet, books, and gift cards to Humane Domain. The contest is free to enter, and you may submit as many photos as you like. Deadline for 2009 is February 27.

Faces
Photo District News' "Faces" contest is not strictly an animal photo competition, but one of the four categories is "Animal Portraits". It's open to pros and amateurs, and you may enter as many photos as you want, either as single entries or a series (max 6 photos that make up a story). The cost to enter (for amateurs) is $35/image and $50/series and prizes include digital cameras, online portfolio, and your photo in print and online. The deadline is March 16, 2009, but you may enter as late as March 30 for an additional $10/entry.

Equine Ideal: Spring 2009 Photo Contest
Open to both pros and amateurs, this contest, sponsored by the Equine Photographers Network, is obviously all about horses. There are 14 categories (7 pro and 7 amateur), and the cost to enter is $15/image. Prizes include photo equipment, membership in the Equine Photographers Network, canvas photo prints, and more. Entry deadline is March 20, and winners will be announced on May 11. This is an annual event, so if you miss it this year, keep your eyes open for the 2010 contest.

Pets & Pals Photo Contest
American Humane's annual competition is usually held in the summer, and this year, they will open up the contest somewhere between June 15 and July 31 (check their website for updates). There will be six categories: Dogs, Cats, People&Pets, Petpourri, Down on the Farm, and Shelter Life. Prizes have not been announced yet, but last year's winners received generous cash prizes. Open to pros and amateurs.

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
ASPCA's annual photo contest always centers around a theme. In 2008, their 9th contest, the theme was "About Face", and the winning photo, an adorable picture of a cat peeking through a hole, ended up on the cover of their Animal Watch magazine. The proceeds from the contest go to a fund for health care for abused and injured animals, so enter as many photos as you can afford! No information is available for the 2009 contest yet, but keep checking their website.

Club Equestrian
Club Equestrian, an online community for horse lovers, holds monthly photo contests with great prizes for those who spend time with horses (the January prize was a pair of Ariat boots). The contest is open to all US residents, and it's free to enter (you just need to sign up for a free membership). Each month has a different theme, and the winning photo is selected based on the number of votes it gets from other CE members. Deadline is the 19th of each month, and voting begins on the 20th.

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