All federal, state, local and municipal laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.

1. Eligibility. Subject to the additional restrictions below, the Pet of the Year Contest is open to U.S. residents who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Employees of the Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program, the Panama City News Herald, Halifax Media Group and each of their respective affiliated companies, Pet of the Year Contest sponsors, advertising and promotional agencies, and the immediate family members of, and any persons domiciled with, any such employees, are not eligible to enter or to win.

2. Fees. A $5 entry fee shall accompany each entry. A $1 fee will be assessed per vote. Discounted bundles are available; 6 votes for $5, 25 votes for $20, 50 votes for $40, and 100 votes for $75.Proceeds benefit the Newspapers in Education program.

3. Contest Period. The contest will begin at 9 a.m. (C.S.T) on Jan. 7, 2013, and ends at noon (C.S.T) on February 18, 2013.

4. Entry Proviso: Photographs must be submitted by the entrant. No third-party entries will be accepted. Photos must have been taken in the past 12 months. Pets must be living.

5. How to Enter Hardcopy Photographs: Beginning at 9 a.m. (C.S.T) on Jan. 7, 2013 and ending at 4 p.m. (C.S.T.) on Jan.28, 2013 (the “Entry Period for Hardcopy Photographs”), enter by submitting a recent photo (within 12 months) of your pet with all required information and a completed entry form. Entrants are not required to live in Northwest Florida or the Panama City vicinity but winners must pick up prizes in person, and show personal ID. Prizes cannot be shipped or transferred to a third party. The Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program reserves the right to verify proof of age. Only one photo per entry. Multiple entries are allowed per household.  Hardcopy photos must be at least 3 inches on one side and no more than 10 inches, and include the person’s name, address, e-mail address and telephone numbers on a label on the back of the photo. Poor quality photos will not be accepted. All photos become the property of the Panama City News Herald and will not be returned. Copyrighted photos will not be accepted without permission from the photographer. The submission of an official Registration/Contest Entry Form constitutes the person’s consent to the publication of their name and photo in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation, or further compensation.

Mail or In-Person Entry. To enter by mail or in person, complete an Official Entry Form printed periodically in Panama City News Herald, as space allows, during the Contest Period and at Panama City News Herald office located at 501 W 11^th St. Panama City Beach, Fl 32401. The entry form with the photo can be mailed or delivered to Pet of the Year Contest, c/o Panama City News Herald, P.O. Box 1940, Panama City Beach, FL 32402, or dropped off in the lobby of Panama City News Herald, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (C.S.T.) All mailed entries must be received on or before Jan.28, 2013. Entries that are mailed and received after Jan. 28, 2013 cannot be used. Entries received by mail on Jan. 28, 2013 may not immediately appear in the online photo gallery due to scanning times. Photocopies of the entry form are permitted. Only one picture per entry per stamped envelope will be accepted. Panama City News Herald will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, postage-due, misdirected or illegible submissions, whether originating with sender or Panama City News Herald.

How to Enter Digital Photographs: Beginning at 9 a.m. (C.S.T) on Jan. 13, 2013 and ending at 4 p.m. (C.S.T.) on Jan. 28, 2013 (the “Entry Period for Digital Photographs”), enter by uploading a recent photo (within 12 months) of your pet with all required information and a completed entry form at the Panama City News Herald’s Web site (details to follow). Entrants are not required to live in Northwest Florida or the Panama City vicinity but winners must pick up prizes in person and show personal ID. Prizes cannot be shipped or transferred to a third party. The Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program reserves the right to verify proof of age. Only one photo per entry. Multiple entries are allowed per household.  Digital photos must also be at least 3 inches wide and have a resolution of at least 200 dpi. Most digital pictures taken in the mid- to high-quality photo setting will be fine. Poor quality photos will not be accepted. All photos become the property of the Panama City News Herald. Copyrighted photos will not be accepted. The submission of an official Registration/Contest Entry Form constitutes the person’s consent to the publication of their name and photo in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation, or further compensation.

Enter online by visiting the Pet of the Year Contest official registration page on the Panama City News Herald Web site (www.newsherald.com.) and completing all of the required information and following all posted instructions. Your computer must accept cookies, or any successor or similar technology, which may be used for the purpose of entry tracking. Complete the entry form, upload a photo and any other required fields and then submit your entry. Online submissions must be received by 4 p.m. (C.S.T.) Jan.28, 2013. By entering, you agree to the terms of these Official Rules.

All entries and pictures become property of the Panama City News Herald. Any questions regarding the number of entries or votes submitted or the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Panama City News Herald in its sole discretion, and Panama City News Herald reserves the right to disqualify any entries or votes by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the contest. In the event of a dispute, all online entries and/or votes will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which they were sent. For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account.

Standards and Proprietary’s: The Panama City News Herald will exercise its right to decline photographs at its discretion. Pets depicted in photographs must be living.

Voting Procedures and Rules. Voting for your favorite pet in Round 1 begins at 4 p.m. (C.S.T) on January 29, 2013 and ends at noon (C.S.T) on Feb. 4, 2013 (the “Voting Period”). The field will be narrowed from all entrants to the 50 receiving the most votes. Voting for your favorite pet entrant in Round 2 begins at 4 p.m. (C.S.T) on Feb. 4, 2013, and ends at noon (C.S.T) on February 11, 2013 (the “Voting Period”). The field will be narrowed from 50 entrants to the 25 receiving the most votes. Voting for your favorite pet entrant in Round 3 begins at 4 p.m. (C.S.T) on February 11, 2013, and ends at noon (C.S.T) on February 18, 2013 (the “Voting Period”) The top vote-getter will be declared the winner; the next vote-getter will be declared the second-place finisher; the next vote-getter will be declared the third-place finisher; the next 10 closest finishers will be declared runners up.

You can vote for your favorite pet photo online at newsherald.com or fill out a vote sheet and pay by check, cash or credit card in the lobby of the Panama City News Herald between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Votes cost $1 apiece in all rounds.  Discounted bundles are available; 6 votes for $5, 25 votes for $20, 50 votes for $40, and 100 votes for $75 with funds going to the Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program. Votes after Round 1 will be zeroed out, and Round 2 will begin anew. Votes from Round 2 will be zeroed out, and Round 3 will begin anew. Your computer must accept cookies, or any successor or similar technology, which may be used for the purpose of entry tracking. Ad blocking software on your computer needs to be disabled so that it doesn’t interfere with processing your entry. Panama City News Herald will not be responsible for failure to receive votes due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Panama City News Herald. In the event of a dispute, all online votes will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which they were sent. For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account. Any questions regarding the number of votes submitted or the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Northwest Florida Daily News in its sole discretion, and Panama City News Herald reserves the right to disqualify any votes by persons determined to be tampering with or abusing any aspect of the Voting Process.

6. Winner Selection. The top 50 entrants with the most votes in Round One will advance to Round Two. The top 25 entrants with the most votes in Round Two will advance to Round Three.  There will be a first-, second- and third-place winner and 10 runners up determined by a total popular vote. In the event of a tie, Panama City News Herald will randomly pick the winners from the tied entries. Entrants will be showcased in the Panama City News Herald Special Insert.

7. Prizes: First Place: One (1) First Place winner will be featured in the Panama City News Herald and receive a $500 prize.
Second Place: One (1) Second Place winner will be featured in the Panama City News Herald and receive a $250 prize.
Third Place: One (1) Third Place winner will be featured in the Panama City News Herald and receive a $100 prize.
Runners Up: Featured in the Panama City News Herald.
Other prizes may be added or substituted for equal value at the discretion of the Panama City News Herald and its Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program.

8. Winner Notification and Acceptance. Winners will be announced on February 20, 2013. To claim a prize, valid photo identification of the entrant will be required. Prizes are non-assignable and nontransferable. No substitutions allowed by winner. Prizes and individual components of prize packages are subject to availability and Panama City News Herald reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value. Winners are solely responsible for reporting and payment of any taxes on prizes. Entrants are not required to live in Northwest Florida or the Panama City vicinity but winners must pick up prizes in person and show personal ID. Prizes cannot be shipped or transferred to a third party. Winners may be required to complete an affidavit of eligibility/liability and publicity release (except where prohibited by law) which must be returned within the time designated by the Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program. Failure to sign and return the affidavit or release or to comply with any term or condition of these Official Rules may result in a winner’s disqualification, the forfeiture of their interest in the prize, and the award of the prize to a substitute winner. Except where prohibited, acceptance of any prize constitutes winner’s consent to the publication of their name, biographical information and likeness in any media for any commercial or promotional purpose, without limitation the Internet, or further compensation. Prizes won and not claimed by eligible winners in accordance with these Official Rules will not be awarded and will remain the property of Panama City News Herald.

9. Participation. By participating, entrants and voters agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Panama City News Herald. Panama City News Herald reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Contest as solely determined by Panama City News Herald. In the event the Contest is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering, mechanical failure or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Panama City News Herald which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Contest, Panama City News Herald reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Contest. Should the Contest be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Panama City News Herald reserves the right to determine winner based on the entries received before the termination date.

10. Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.

11. Panama City News Herald 2013 Best Pet Contest is a Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program, and contest sponsors. All donations will go to the Panama City News Herald Newspapers in Education program, an educational outreach effort designed to promote literacy and knowledge of current events. The decisions of Panama City News Herald regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects. Panama City News Herald will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Sweepstakes.