Pet of the Year Awards 2026
Terms and Conditions
- INTRODUCTION AND BINDING AGREEMENT
Your participation in any capacity—as an Entrant, Voter, or Winner—in the Pet of the Year Awards (the “Awards”) constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to these Terms and Conditions.
This document is a binding legal contract between you (the “Participant”) and RSPCA Victoria (ABN 78 731 620 656) and RSPCA New South Wales (ABN 87 000 016 641) (collectively, the Operator).
The Operator reserves the right to amend or cancel the Awards or these Terms and Conditions at any time where reasonably required for operational, regulatory, or integrity reasons, subject to applicable law. These Terms and Conditions were last revised on 3 March 2026.
- ELIGIBILITY
Individuals who are ordinarily resident outside Victoria or New South Wales (Non-Participating Jurisdictions) may submit an Entry, cast a vote, or make a donation. Where an Entry is submitted by an individual resident outside Victoria or New South Wales, the Entrant acknowledges and agrees that:
- donations will be allocated in accordance with clause VI.C (Allocation of Donations); and
- their entrant details may be shared with the relevant RSPCA state or territory body following the conclusion of the Awards, in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
All Entrants must:
- be eighteen (18) years of age or over at the time of entry;
- be the lawful owner of the submitted animal, or an authorised representative of the lawful owner; and
- comply with these Terms and Conditions.
The submitted animal must reside in Australia for the duration of the Awards.
- ENTRY AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The entry period commences on 17 March 2026 and closes on 13 April 2026. All dates, voting rounds, and progression thresholds are indicative only and may be extended, shortened, suspended, or otherwise amended by the Operator where reasonably required due to participation levels, technical performance, or operational considerations. All dates and times are indicative only and may be varied by the Operator in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
Only one (1) Entry per person is permitted in each eligible category, subject to the Influencer and Non-Influencer eligibility rules below.
- Influencer and Non-Influencer Category Submission Eligibility
Influencer Definition: For the purposes of the Pet of the Year Awards, an “Influencer” (also known as a “Petfluencer”) is defined as a social media presence where a pet is the primary subject and “star” of the account. This presence is cultivated and managed by an owner or representative who creates and shares content featuring the pet’s likeness, personality, or talents, thereby establishing an influential brand or persona for the animal.
To meet this definition, the pet’s dedicated social media account(s) must include at least one social media channel with a total of two thousand (2,000) or more followers at the time of entry.
Non-Influencer Definition: A “Non-Influencer” is any pet owner, pet account, or entity that does not meet the Influencer definition above.
Influencer Entry Eligibility: To ensure fairness for all participants, any Entrant meeting the Influencer definition is permitted to submit one (1) Entry in total. This Entry must be submitted into the specific Influencer Category corresponding to the Influencer’s total follower count, calculated by reference to the single social media account with the highest follower number at the time of submission. It is the Entrant’s sole responsibility to select the correct category.
Influencer Categories are tiered as follows:
- Mid-Tier Influencer: 2,000 – 30,000 followers
- Upper-Tier Influencer: 30,001 + followers
- Once an Influencer Entry has been submitted, the Influencer (including the pet and owner they represent) is strictly prohibited from submitting any additional Entries into any other category of the Pet of the Year Awards 2026, including all other Influencer Categories and all Non-Influencer Categories.
Non-Influencer Entry Eligibility: Non-Influencers are permitted to submit one (1) Entry per Pet Owner Category, subject to these Terms and Conditions.
- Animal Eligibility and Welfare
(a) The Operator reserves the right to review, moderate, reject, suspend, or remove any Entry or photograph at any time during the competition period, including after acceptance, and without prior notice.
(b) By submitting an Entry, the Entrant warrants and represents that the animal featured:
- is legal to own in the Entrant’s state or territory of residence;
- has not been subject to cosmetic procedures, including ear cropping or tail docking, except where undertaken for genuine therapeutic or veterinary reasons; and
- has been photographed in a manner that does not place the animal at risk of harm or distress.
(c) The Operator may request further information regarding an animal’s breed, history, ownership, or welfare status and may remove an Entry where welfare, legal, or reputational concerns arise.
- Animal Wellbeing & Comfort
(a)Animals in photos must appear free from real or perceived harm to the animal.
(b)Photos showing unsafe environments, risky situations, or anything that could be interpreted as harmful will not be accepted.
(c)Animals should appear comfortable and relaxed.
(d)Look for natural, calm body language: soft eyes, loose posture, and a stress-free environment.
(e)Avoid any signs of distress or discomfort.
(f)Images showing fearful expressions, cowering, tense body language, or attempts to escape will not be approved.
- Clothing, Costumes & Accessories
(a)If your pet is wearing clothing or accessories, they must be able to move freely and appear comfortable.
(b)Anything restrictive, heavy, or visibly causing distress cannot be accepted.
- Training Equipment
No aversive training tools should be used to capture images and are allowed to appear in submitted images. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Choke chains
- Electric shock collars
- Prong collars
Photos featuring these items will automatically be declined.
By submitting your images, you confirm that your pet was treated kindly, safely, and with respect during the creation of your entry.
- Authenticity of Photograph
All submitted images must feature a real, living domesticated dog or cat. Non-domesticated, wild, or prohibited animals are not eligible.
The use of generative artificial intelligence to create or materially alter images is prohibited.
- PUBLIC VOTING AND DONATIONS
- Public Voting
Public voting will open on 15 April 2026.
Voters may cast one (1) free vote per Entry per 24-hour period, subject to authentication requirements.
Additional votes may be cast by making a voluntary donation. All vote payments are treated as donations, are final, and are non-refundable.
The Operator reserves the right to investigate and disqualify votes or Entries where fraud, manipulation, or misuse is suspected.
- Categories Voting Structure:
Entrants within each category will be placed into groups for an initial voting round, with subsequent rounds narrowing the field of competitors.
There will be four (4) voting rounds for each Category.
- Round 1 (15 April - 28 April): The top 20 Entrants or top 50% of entrants (whichever is less) with the most votes in each group advance to Round 2.
- Round 2 (30 April - 6 May): The top 15 Entrants or top 50% of entrants (whichever is less) with the most votes in each group advance to Round 3.
- Round 3 (8 May - 14 May): The top 10 Entrants or top 50% of entrants (whichever is less) with the most votes in each group advance to Round 4.
- Final Round (16 May - 22 May): The top-voted Entrant in the Final Round across all groups in a category will be named the Award winner for that category.
The Operator, at its absolute and complete discretion, reserves the right to alter the dates, number of rounds and number of advancing Entrants without notice. The Operator may disqualify votes suspected of fraud and disqualify any winner found to have unfairly manipulated the vote. In the event of a tie, the Operator will determine the outcome.
Entrants that have received zero (0) votes are ineligible to progress to the next round regardless of their position at the end of the round.
In the event of a tie for the final advancing spot(s) or winning positions, the submission that received the highest purchased vote amount will be positioned higher and progress. If the tie is still not broken, the submissions will be positioned based on the chronological order of the submission date with the earliest submitted entries being positioned higher and advancing.
- Bonus votes for group winners:
Entrants that are placed 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in each group or the top 10% of entrants (whichever is lower) will receive bonus votes for the subsequent round. The following bonuses will be applied:
1st Place: 350 bonus votes
2nd Place: 200 bonus votes
3rd Place: 150 bonus votes
4th Place: 100 bonus votes
5th Place: 50 bonus votes
In the event of a tie for the final winning positions, the submission that received the highest purchased vote amount will be positioned higher and progress. If the tie is still not broken the submissions will be positioned based on the chronological order of the submission date with the earliest submitted entries being positioned higher and advancing.
Entrants that progress to the next round will also carry over 20% of their votes (excluding the bonus votes mentioned in this section) received during the previous round.
- Flexibility of Rounds
All voting rounds, progression thresholds, and dates are indicative only and may be amended, extended, shortened, or cancelled by the Operator where reasonably required. Material changes will be communicated via the official competition platform.
- PRIZES
Prizes are non-transferable and non-exchangeable and cannot be redeemed for cash. If a prize becomes unavailable, a prize of equal or greater value may be substituted.
- COMMUNICATIONS, PRIVACY, AND DATA USE
- Consent to Contact
By participating, Entrants and Voters consent to receiving transactional and operational communications necessary for administration of the Awards.
Entrants and Voters may also receive promotional communications from RSPCA Victoria and/or RSPCA New South Wales about animal welfare initiatives, campaigns and fundraising activities. Promotional communications may be opted out of at any time using the unsubscribe facility included in each communication.
- Privacy
Personal information is collected and handled in accordance with the relevant Privacy Policy:
- RSPCA Victoria: https://rspcavic.org/privacy-policy/
- RSPCA New South Wales: https://www.rspcansw.org.au/privacy-policy/
- Allocation of Donations
(a) Donations (including paid votes) made in respect of an Entry submitted by an individual ordinarily resident in Victoria will be allocated to RSPCA Victoria.
(b) Donations (including paid votes) made in respect of an Entry submitted by an individual ordinarily resident in New South Wales will be allocated to RSPCA New South Wales.
(c) Donations (including paid votes) made in respect of an Entry submitted by an individual ordinarily resident outside Victoria or New South Wales will be split equally between RSPCA Victoria and RSPCA New South Wales.
- Handling of Entrants from Non Participating Jurisdictions
Where an individual from a Non-Participating Jurisdiction is permitted by the Operator to submit an Entry, the Entrant acknowledges and agrees that their personal information and entry details may be shared with the relevant RSPCA state or territory body following the conclusion of the Awards, for animal welfare, regulatory, or supporter engagement purposes, in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
- Interstate Data Handling
Where an Entrant or Voter resides outside Victoria or New South Wales, their personal information may be shared with the relevant RSPCA state or territory body following the conclusion of the Awards, in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
- DATA USAGE AND PUBLICITY
All Participant information and Entries may be used by the Operator for any promotional, marketing, or publicity purpose for the Awards in any media format worldwide, without notice or fee.
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PUBLICITY
By submitting an Entry, the Entrant grants the Operator a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, publish, and adapt the Entry’s information and images for promotional, fundraising, and awareness purposes.
- PROHIBITED CONDUCT
All participants agree not to engage in any activity that compromises the integrity, fairness, or proper operation of the Awards. The Operator reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to determine violations of these rules. The following conduct is strictly prohibited:
- Automated Participation: The use of any automated system, script, bot, macro, or any other device to automate the process of submitting Entries or casting votes is forbidden.
- Data Extraction: The use of any automated tool or software, including but not limited to "screen scrapers," "web crawlers," or "spiders," to harvest, copy, or extract any data or content from the Awards website is strictly prohibited.
- Malicious Interference: Any attempt to disrupt, damage, tamper with, or place an undue burden on the technical infrastructure of the Awards, including its website, servers, and networks, is forbidden. This includes the introduction of any viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or other potentially harmful code.
- Fraudulent Activity: Any form of fraudulent participation is prohibited, including but not limited to, the use of fraudulent accounts, vote buying or trading outside of the official paid voting mechanism, or any other deceptive practices intended to unfairly manipulate the outcome.
- Consequences of Violation: Any violation of this section may result in immediate action by the Operator, without prior notice. Such actions may include, but are not limited to:
The voiding of all votes associated with the prohibited conduct.
- The disqualification of the associated Entrant from the Awards.
- The permanent banning of the responsible individual(s) from any future competitions.
- The pursuit of all available legal remedies, including reporting such activity to law enforcement.
- LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Operator excludes all liability for loss, damage, or injury arising from participation in the Awards, except where such liability cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.
- GOVERNING LAW
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia. The courts of Victoria have exclusive jurisdiction.
- SEVERABILITY
If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
| Important fundraising information The Pet of the Year Awards is a fundraising initiative conducted by RSPCA Victoria and RSPCA New South Wales. Votes cast by payment are treated as voluntary donations and are not refundable. Donations of $2 or more to RSPCA Victoria and RSPCA New South Wales are tax deductible to the extent permitted by Australian law. Paid votes are treated as voluntary donations.. Funds raised in Victoria support RSPCA Victoria’s animal welfare activities. Funds raised in New South Wales support RSPCA New South Wales’ animal welfare activities. Donations received to Entries that reside outside Victoria and New South Wales are shared equally between RSPCA Victoria and RSPCA New South Wales. |