Dust off those legwarmers & grab the "Pawqua Net" because Shiba Prom is going BACK TO THE 80s for this year's Prom event & you're like, totally invited!
WHAT IS OUR PET PHOTO CONTEST?
Our annual Prom event includes a variety of fundraising activities with some starting before the event & others occuring during the event. The photo contest is one of our Prom activities that starts 1 month before Prom. Winning is serious business! We want entrants to have enough time to review the categories & prepare their entry photo(s) & get as many votes as they can.
The earlier you enter, the more time you have to ask your friends & family for votes to push you into the lead for a chance to WIN your category! Winners of each category receive bragging rights, a featured month in our annual Shiba Prom calendar & together form our "Prom Court" for this year. Winners are announced live during Prom & given a huge round of applause!
**Costumes are encouraged but not required except for the "Best 80s Im-pawsinator" category - you gotta show off your rad threads & that gorgeous hair. Like, for sure.
PHOTO CATEGORIES FOR THIS YEAR:
- Radical Dudes (winner to be crowned "Prom King of 2025")
- Valley Girls (winnner to be crowned "Prom Queen of 2025")
- Gag Me with a Spoon! ("not looking at the camera" pose)
- Toys R Us Kids (puppies only)
- Mature to the Max (seniors only)
- Care Bare Stare ("side eye" attitude)
- The Borkfast Club (group of 2 or more)
- Shibas Just Wanna Have Fun (anything goes!)
- Best 80s Im-pawsinator (costume required - let's see those 80s icon look-a-likes!)
HOW DO I ENTER?*Follow the instructions on this website to enter*Each photo submission is FREE!*You may enter you pet into as many categories as you want*Rescue organizations are encouraged to participate
*Entering ends at 9pm Eastern on May 17thHOW DO I VOTE?*Follow the instructions on this website to vote*Each vote is only $1.00!*Anonymous votes are accepted*Banking votes is available*Rescue organizations are encouraged to participate
*You can vote for your own pet, but in the spirit of Rescue, consider voting for other pets, too
*Voting ends ends at 10pm Eastern on May 17th
OFFICIAL RULES BELOW!Official Rules & FAQ
IS THIS CONTEST ONLY FOR SHIBA INUS? No! Any pet can be entered into the contest. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE (ENTER & VOTE)? Anyone! Even rescues. If you live outside of the United States, please contact us first.WHO CAN WIN? Anyone! Except for Shiba Prom members of the Board. The reigning Shiba Prom King & Queen are expected to pass their crowns, but they can still enter into other contest categories to try & win!I CAN'T ATTEND PROM ON MAY 17TH. CAN I STILL PARTICIPATE? Yes! The Shibas insist. You do not have to attend our actual Prom event in order to enter/vote or win.
HOW DO I ENTER?*Follow the instructions on the main page of this website to enter*Each photo submission is FREE!*You may enter you pet into as many categories as you want*Rescue organizations are encouraged to participate
*Entering ends at 9pm Eastern on May 17thHOW DO I VOTE?*Follow the instructions on main page of this website to vote*Each vote is only $1.00!*Anonymous voting is permitted*Banking votes is available*Vote as many times as you want, for as many pets as you want*You can vote for your own pet, but in the spirit of Rescue, consider voting for other pets, too*Rescue organizations are encouraged to participate
*Voting ends ends at 10pm Eastern on May 17thWHAT IS THE PRIZE FOR WINNING? Besides bragging rights & a seat in our coveted Prom Court for this year, each category winner will have their winning photo featured in a dedicated month in the 2026 Shiba Prom calendar! In the event of a tie, both winners will receive a dedicated month (or page). ALL contest entrants will be featured in our "big heart photo" on the front cover of our calendar!OFFICIAL RULESBy submitting an entry in this contest, regardless of country of entry, you represent & warrant that your photo(s) and/or video(s) conform to the following:
- You are not a Shiba Prom member of the Board
- You are at least 18 years of age
- When required, video submissions must include (1) photo submission along with the video
- Photos must be:
- Of your own pet(s)
- Appropriate for the theme of the submission category
- Of one (1) pet unless the category is a group theme
- In the spirit of “Rescue” – we are here to celebrate Shiba Inus not bash other breeds or make fun of other contest submissions
- Photo and video submission may not:
- Show humans or other people’s pets
- Include content that is derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous
- Promote hatred or harm against any group or person
- Contain any content that is inappropriate, indecent, sexual, profane, indecent, tortuous, slanderous, or discriminatory in any way
- Contain any content that is unlawful or otherwise in violation of any applicable federal, state, provincial, or local laws & regulations in any state where the photos were created
- Contain any content, material or element that displays any third-party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party or commercial entity that is not within the spirit of this contest, as determined by Shiba Prom in its sole discretion
- Reference any person, group, or organizations without their written permission
- Violate a third party's intellectual property rights, including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, logos, contract & licensing rights, rights of publicity or privacy, moral rights, or any other intellectual property rights
- Be subject to any third-party agreement(s) which may require organizer to pay any sum of money to any person or entity as a result of its use or exploitation of the photos or rights therein
During the contest period, Shiba Prom will evaluate each entry to ensure that it does not violate these contest rules. Photographs & videos that violate these rules will be disqualified. By submitting a photo and/or video, you agree to give Shiba Prom permission to use your photo and/or video in Shiba Prom-related promotions, marketing, social media postings & other activities that further our mission of supporting Shiba Inu rescues throughout the United States.
Shiba Prom members of the Board are not eligible to win prizes from the organization's fundraising events, but they may donate. Shiba Prom volunteers who are not Board members are permitted to participate in the organization's fundraising events unless otherwise restricted.
How can my pet win?!WHO CAN WIN? Anyone! Except for Shiba Prom members of the Board. The reigning Shiba Prom King & Queen are expected to pass their crowns, but they can still enter into other contest categories to try & win!
WHAT IS THE PRIZE FOR WINNING? Besides bragging rights & a seat in our coveted Prom Court for this year, each category winner will have their winning photo featured in a dedicated month in the 2026 Shiba Prom calendar! In the event of a tie, both winners will receive a dedicated month (or page). ALL contest entrants will be featured in our "big heart photo" on the front cover of our calendar!
HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY PET WON? You can follow the contest main page for real-time updates to the leaderboard. The leaderboard shows what pet is winning their category (based upon the number of votes). Remember, each VOTE = $1 donation. If you want to WIN, tell your friends & family to VOTE to push your pet into the lead!
The more VOTES we have, the more donation dollars we have to help Shibas in need. Entering/voting helps everyone "Have Fun Raising Funds." HOW HECKIN' COOL IS THAT?!
Shiba Prom members of the Board are not eligible to win prizes from the organization's fundraising events. Board member may vote in the photo contest. Shiba Prom volunteers who are not on the Board may enter & vote, but they will pass their winning title to the runner up in any category they win.
Would you like to honor your pet by featuring their photo on a special day in our annual Shiba Prom calendar? Of course you would! A special day represents an important event in your pet's life...such as a birthday, got'cha day or favorite holiday. You can also reserve a day to honor a Rainbow Bridge loved one or a special fren.
By reserving the day, only YOUR pet can be featured on that day in our annual calendar. CLICK HERE to view our 2025 calendar to see examples of reserved days.
NEW FOR 2026!! We will add an emoji to reservations for the below special days:- Rainbow Bridge = 🌈
- Birthday = 🎁
- Got'cha Day = 🐾
**Our 2026 calendar fundraiser begins on Black Friday, Novermber 28th but early reservations are encouraged - especially for popular holidays like Valentine's Day, Christmas & Halloween. Days are awarded on a first come, first served basis.**INSTRUCTIONS:
- Fill out the form on this website
- Use the "caption" section of the form to specify birthday, got'cha day or Rainbow Bridge day for your pet so we know to add the emoji
- The "caption" section is required - if you aren't reserving an emoji-eligible day, feel free to tell us a little bit about your pet's special day! Or, just write N/A
- Each day is a $10 donation
- Reserve as many days as you like
- The same pet can be featured more than once
- If you would like to feature more than 1 pet on the same day, you must submit a group photo of them together (we cannot use more than 1 photo on any given day)
- There is not an option to bulk select days - each day requires a form
You do NOT have to participate in the Prom pet photo contest (donate-to-vote) in order to to reserve a day. This is completely separate from the contest - it is just the same website to submit photos for both activities. If you have questions, please email us at admin@shibaprom.org