Show Them You Love Them Contest!

Recent news in the life of Ruffian

I have to say that I am shocked by the response to this contest! I have had a crazy amount of people inform me of their desire to support us in one way or another... Good job DA, and to all those who are helping me out or planning on entering - Thank you in advance! It is you who will make the difference to this fabulous cause! Keep spreading the word, and don't forget to show those lovely creatures who you call "pets" that you love them!

EDIT: 12/3/2009 - Wonderful news! Thanks go We have had another set of subscriptions donated!!! 1 year to the winner of both categories, 6 months to the second place winners and 3 months to both the third place winners! Thanks so much for your support!

EDIT: 12/7/2009 - After a weekend of rest, relaxation, and tree-putting-upage I came back onto DA to find that I had received 25 new watchers over the weekend..... Needless to say I am shocked, nervous, and very excited! We now have 29 journal features for the winners of this contest, and a 30th for the first place prize winners in both categories! Please keep up the offerings people and keep spreading the word! By the way, if you recently offered a journal feature and it was not listed please let me know... I think I have everyone but I might have missed you at one point along the way!



Show Them You Love Them - CONTEST

I said it was coming didn't I?

This will be my first contest, which has been endorsed by multiple clubs and fantastic photographers within the DA community. There are eleven extremely skilled judges (both amateur and professional) for this competition, all of whom will be taking part in choosing the winners. Aside from this wonderful cause we have fantastic prizes including multiple subscriptions, monetary donations to the Regina Humane Society, prints and a crazy amount of journal features! I am looking for a minimum of 20 entrants (at least 10 for each division) so please keep spreading the word!

I am still looking for more prizes! These can be as simple as a journal feature or news article, or as in depth as prints, subscriptions, artwork dedications, or donations to the animal welfare society of your choice! If you have $5 to spare, I am certain that donating it in the name of a winner would be as great a prize as a 1 month subscription!

Rules

• You must watch me this is so that you can stay on top of the contest information without me having to try to contact everyone.

• Photography only. I will make allowances for minor photo-manipulation (I will accept pretty much anything so long as the main subject is not photo-shopped into a different photograph) If you have a question please ask!

• There will be 2 separate divisions in this competition, Amateur and Professional and your category must be specified upon entry or you will be automatically defaulted into professional. The reason for this division is to make certain that everyone - no matter their skill level - has an equal shot at winning something in this contest! The professional vs. amateur divide is not meaning paid vs. unpaid but is instead with regards to the quality of your work. Generally speaking, if you don't know which division you fit into you are probably considered a professional.

• If there is less than 10 entries in each category I reserve the right to combine divisions and I may or may not decide to offer all subscriptions/donations if I am forced to do so.

• All entries must be new and captured (not uploaded, but taken) after November 30th 2009. For clarification: If the photo was taken November 21st, it cannot be entered in this competition. If you have a photograph taken January 1st, it is valid to be entered in this competition! The whole point is an equal playing field, unfortunately I cannot make exceptions! Pets are everywhere, and even if yours is gone, passed away, or back at home you need to find someone else's to photograph.

• Please NOTE me with your entry in either thumb or link format and the name of your division. I will begin defaulting as soon as I begin receiving entries en masse... If you dont want to go pro, please tell me!

• Competition will end January 31st 2010

• You may only submit one deviation, and you can only change that Deviation once!

• Please keep an eye on the collection that will be created once I start receiving entries, please be courteous and favorite the other entries!

Contest Subject
In my hometown there has been a problem with a surplus of unwanted and abused animals which has caused our humane society to be significantly over capacity for at least the last 3 months.... There is no question; as my hometown grows the problem of animal overpopulation gets more accentuated. There has been incidences of people shooting purebred 2 month old puppies in the head because they were asked to wait a week before surrendering their puppy due to space constrictions! The Regina Humane society is in dire need, but the community is only backing them so much - and now they are begging for new facilities to help offer these desolate animals a second chance at a happy life. The facilities they currently occupy are at least 30 years old and were built when my city was almost half the size it currently is. Needless to say, with human expansion also comes a greater demand for puppies from puppy mills.

According to No Puppy Mills Canada, 10 million 'excess' dogs and cats will be killed in shelters this year.  These are generally happy, healthy animals who, through no fault of their own, nobody wants.

It has been breaking my heart to see all these poor unwanted pets being given away for no reason other than improper training and in-education. I don't know about you, but I love my pets (all four of them) and consider them as much my family as my parents. Through this contest I hope to help raise some awareness for those poor creatures who go to bed every night crammed two or three at a time in a cement floored cell covered in urine and feces. These animals are forced into these horrible conditions simply because people refuse to open their homes to these poor animals who need them.

Through this contest I am hoping to remind everyone of the wonders of pet ownership! So I commission you to take a photograph of your pet doing something that makes you say "That is so (pets name here)." I want to see what makes you laugh, smile, giggle or moan. I want to see what makes you love your pets so much you will happily pick up that accident in the middle of your kitchen floor. Your pet can be a cat, dog, horse, rat, etc. Whatever you classify as a *pet* is good enough for me! For those of you who have not had the opportunity to own an animal, or have recently lost yours, please offer to take photographs of a friends animal or offer your service to your local animal shelter and enter those photographs in lieu of your own pet!

• Here are some acceptable examples from my works:

Prize-List

• All winners will receive a journal feature from the following gracious Deviants:

• As well as news articles courtesy of:

Other prizes include but may not be limited to:


Amateur

1st place:

• 3 month premium subscription or an equal monetary donation to the Regina Humane Society, and a dedicated deviation from:

• 1 year premium subscription courtesy of:
  

• Journal feature courtesy of:
  

2nd place:

• 1 month premium subscription or an equal monetary donation to the Regina Humane Society, and a dedicated deviation from :

• 6 month premium subscription courtesy of:
  

3rd place:

• A $5 Monetary donation in your name to the Regina Humane Society,  and a dedicated deviation from:

• 3 month premium subscription courtesy of:

Professional

1st place:

• 1 year premium subscription or an equal monetary donation to the Regina Humane Society, and a dedicated deviation from :

• 1 year premium subscription courtesy of:

• 1 print and journal feature courtesty of:

(The print will need to be added to your wishlist)


2nd place:

• 3 month premium subscription or an equal monetary donation to the Regina Humane Society,and a dedicated deviation from:

• 6 month premium subscription courtesy of:

3rd place:

• 1 month premium subscription or an equal monetary donation to the Regina Humane Society, and a dedicated deviation from:

• 3 month premium subscription courtesy of:

Current Entries

Professional Entries - ruffian2001.deviantart.com/fav…
Amateur Entries - ruffian2001.deviantart.com/fav…



Our Lovely Judges!

Thanks in advance to the following who have offered up their time to judge this contest:



I think we are at a perfect amount of judges now which span the spectrum from professional to amateur! If you still wish to help out with the contest please feel free to donate anything you can afford or give time to do! We would love any help we can get!