How does the contest work?

Any Golden Retriever can be entered in the contest. However, only Golden Retrievers rescued through Rescue A Golden of Arizona, or owned by current members* of RAGofAZ, (whether rescue Goldens or not) are eligible to win a spot as a monthly dog in our calendar. Furthermore, only a RAGofAZ-rescued dog can win the cover, but the same dog cannot win the cover two years in a row.

For example, if the dog with the most votes is not a RAGofAZ-rescued dog, he/she will be bumped down to second place and the dog in second place will win the cover. If the second place dog is not a RAGofAZ-rescued dog, then the third place dog will win the cover, and the top two will be bumped down to second and third place, etc.

The ten contest finalists will all be prominently featured in the calendar. The winner will have the cover photo, and the nine runners-up will be given a month each.

Should a Golden not meeting the above criteria win or place in the top 10, that dog will win a $50 PetsMart Gift Card in lieu of a calendar page, as well as an embroidered RAGofAZ bandana.

*What is a “current member” of RAGofAZ?

For the purpose of this contest, a current member is anyone who has paid individual, family or student membership dues within the last year, or who is a benefactor (i.e., has made a donation of at least $35 within the last year) of RAGofAZ. To be considered a member, membership dues must be paid before voting starts. Please note: You are not considered a member or benefactor if you have submitted a foster/adoption application only, unless you submitted an application in 2024 that included a one year individual membership.

Please also note the following:

Any Golden contestant who crosses to the Rainbow Bridge after the start of the contest will still be eligible to be featured in the calendar with the following caveats: To be included in the calendar, the winning Golden must have good quality photographs available for our Calendar Coordinator to choose from; he/she has total discretion on whether to accept or reject a photo. Should no calendar quality photo be available, the winner in this case would receive the $50 PetsMart gift card.

Any winning contestant who resides in a state other than Arizona must be able to provide a good quality photograph available for our Calendar Coordinator to choose from; he/she has total discretion on whether to accept or reject a photo. Should no calendar quality photo be available, the winner in this case would receive the $50 PetsMart gift card.

While Goldens who have already crossed the Rainbow Bridge are not eligible to enter the contest, please note that there will be an opportunity after the contest for current members to submit photos of their Goldens who have passed to be included on a special calendar page dedicated to their memories.

Yes, a $10.00 donation is required to enter your dog’s photo in the contest. As we did last year, we will be spotlighting every entrant in the Cutest Golden Contest on a special page of the 2025 calendar and featuring each Golden in a special slideshow that will be available for viewing on our website. Your donation will help offset the medical costs we incur throughout the year.

Your membership in RAGofAZ is not required. However, as a member, you will be helping RAGofAZ continue its mission of rescuing Golden Retrievers in need, as well as receiving our newsletters and updates on upcoming events throughout the year. Some of our sponsors will offer discounts on their services to Rescue A Golden of Arizona members.

Our Family membership is available for $45.00 per year, and our individual membership is only $35.00 per year. You can purchase your membership here.

The contest begins on Sunday, March 10th and runs through 8 pm MST on Sunday, April 7th. There will be no elimination each week; all dogs remain in the contest until the final day. The winners are determined by the total votes received.

Here are some voting strategies:

1. Only dogs rescued through Rescue A Golden of Arizona, or dogs belonging to current members of RAGofAZ are eligible to be featured in the calendar. Furthermore, only a RAGofAZ-rescued dog can win the cover. If a dog not meeting those requirements makes it to the final 10, they will receive a $50.00 gift card from PetsMart and special mention in our newsletter and website.

2.  Keep in mind that the contest will heat up as the weeks go on.  Check your dog’s voting progress often to see how they’re doing. As the weeks pass, the voting will likely become more intense.  Bidding too conservatively could cost your dog that coveted featured calendar page opportunity!

3. It’s easy to invite your friends and family to vote for your cute pup. Just send them this link, or forward the contest update emails to your friends and family. There are also sharing links on the entry donation page. They can help your dog win one of those coveted monthly pages!

We’ll be updating the voting tally sheet as often as we can, and as the contest draws to an end, we’ll be updating it more and more frequently. 

Thanks to each and every one of you for participating in our contest. We truly enjoy moderating this contest!

For your information: the moderators personally count all the votes and posts all as soon as possible. Accurate records are kept of all votes cast with receipts of who votes, when they voted and how many votes are cast. Those receipts do not contain any credit card information. All transactions are handled by PayPal and are industry standard secure. Neither the moderators nor any immediate family members have any dogs entered into the contest. One hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to the care of RAGofAZ Golden Retrievers.

Please don’t wait until the last few minutes of the contest to vote. No votes received after 8 pm on the last day of the contest will be counted. Technical difficulties with the internet or your web browser or the web server that hosts the contest are beyond the control of RAGofAZ.

The Calendar Coordinator has the final say as to what photographs will go into the calendar. You may certainly request that a particular photo be used, but please keep in mind that the final decision will be made by the Calendar Coordinator.  He/she also reserves the right to take other photographs if he/she deems it necessary.  

Color digital photographs in a landscape format are required and must be a minimum of 300 dpi, or 2550 x 3300 pixels, in JPEG / JPG format so that they will produce high quality 8.5 x11 inch images for the calendar.

You may accessorize your dog for the Cutest Golden Contest photo.  Hats, glasses, scarves, swimming gear—anything cute but tasteful.