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The short version: send us your funniest dog photo. If it’s one of the best 52, it goes in our book, and $10 from every book sold goes to the Animal Welfare League. Entry is free and you keep your copyright. The full terms are below.

1. The promoter

The competition is run by Pup Dates, PO Box 574, Potts Point NSW 1335, woof@pupdates.com.au (“Pup Dates”, “we”, “us”).

2. Dates

Entries open at 5:30pm AEDT on Thursday 12 November 2026 and close at 11:59pm AEDT on Sunday 28 February 2027. We judge entries by the time we receive them. Late entries won’t be accepted.

3. Who can enter

  • Entry is open to Australian residents aged 18 or over.
  • Rose Lee, the Pup Dates team, the judges and their immediate families can’t enter. Romeo is also ineligible, although he disagrees.
  • It’s free to enter. You don’t have to buy anything, and buying the book won’t improve your chances.

4. How to enter

  • Email your photo to woof@pupdates.com.au, with “Funny dog photo competition” in the subject line.
  • Include your full name, your dog’s name, your suburb and state, and a line or two about what’s happening in the photo.
  • You can send up to three photos. Send each one as a separate entry.
  • Send the original, full-size file (JPG, PNG or HEIC). The book is printed, so a larger photo gives a better result. We suggest at least 2,000 pixels on the longest side.

5. Photo rules

By entering, you confirm that:

  • you took the photo, or you have the photographer’s permission to enter it and to give us the rights in section 6;
  • the dog is yours, or you have the owner’s permission;
  • everyone who can be identified in the photo has agreed to it being entered and published, with a parent or guardian agreeing for anyone under 18; and
  • the photo hasn’t been heavily edited, combined with other images, or made or changed with AI. Cropping and normal colour adjustments are fine.

No dog should be put at risk, frightened or uncomfortable for a photo. We won’t accept any photo that shows a dog in distress or danger, or one that we think is unsafe, cruel, offensive, or that infringes anyone else’s rights. We can remove such an entry at any time.

6. Your photo and how we use it

  • You keep the copyright in your photo.
  • By entering, you give Pup Dates a free, non-exclusive, worldwide and ongoing licence to use your photo and caption for the competition and the book. That covers the book in print and digital form, including reprints; The Pupdate newsletter; our website and social media; and promoting the competition and the book. We may crop, resize, colour-correct or lightly edit your caption to fit.
  • Where we use your photo, we’ll credit it with your dog’s name and your first name and suburb, unless you ask us not to.
  • You agree that we can make these edits and that the credit may appear in this short form.
  • Changed your mind? Email us before your photo is chosen for the book and we’ll withdraw it. Once the book has gone to print, we can’t take a photo out of copies already printed, but we’ll stop using it anywhere else.

7. Judging

  • This is a competition of skill. Chance plays no part.
  • After entries close, a panel chosen by Pup Dates will judge every eligible entry on humour, originality and photo quality, and on whether it’s suitable for print. The panel will include Rose Lee. Romeo will share his opinions, but they don’t count.
  • The panel will choose up to 52 photos for the book. It may also choose photos to feature in The Pupdate and on social media while the competition is open.
  • The judges’ decision is final, and we won’t enter into correspondence about it.

8. If your photo is chosen

  • We’ll email you within 30 days of entries closing. If you don’t reply within 14 days, we may choose another photo instead.
  • Having your photo in the book is the recognition for this competition. There is no cash prize and no prize that can be exchanged for cash.

9. The book and the donation

  • Pup Dates plans to publish the book after the competition closes. We’ll announce the publication date, format and price in The Pupdate and on our website.
  • For every copy sold, Pup Dates will donate $10 to Animal Welfare League NSW. We’ll publish the total donated once sales close.

10. Your details

We use your name, email address and entry details only to run the competition, contact you and credit your photo. We won’t sell your details. We’ll only add you to The Pupdate if you ask us to or you’re already subscribed, and you can unsubscribe at any time. For any question about your details, email woof@pupdates.com.au.

11. The fine print

  • We’re not responsible for entries that are lost, delayed or can’t be opened. Sending an entry isn’t proof that we received it.
  • If something outside our control means the competition can’t run as planned, we may change, pause or end it, and we’ll post the change on this page.
  • Nothing in these terms limits any right you have under the Australian Consumer Law.
  • These terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales.

Last updated 12 November 2026.