The NEW Top Dog contest will consist of five simultaneously running contests – one for each participating shelter/rescue. Each contest will have a winner along with awards for the top 10. One dog will be crowned the NEW Top Dog for 2026 based on the most votes received across the 5 contests.
See the FAQ and/or the individual contest pages for more information about the participating organizations.
The following are requirements for all submitted photos:
You may enter photos in memory of your canine companion. Please note the following criteria about memorialized entries:
By submitting a photo, you certify that you own and possess all rights to your photo, and you give the NEW Top Dog contest unencumbered rights to use the photo for any and all purposes.
Photos that do not follow guidelines or are deemed inappropriate by the Event Coordinator will be removed at the discretion of contest officials. If you have any questions about photo submissions or criteria, please contact your contest administrator at info@newtopdog.com
Winning a prize is contingent upon compliance with all Official Rules. The Event Coordinator will attempt to notify winning participants by email or telephone within 14 days of the contest end date.
Proceeds from NEW Top Dog 2026 will benefit the participating shelters and the Event Coordinator, Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis.
This is the required “fine print.” All federal, state, local, and municipal laws and regulations apply.
Participation in the Contest constitutes agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of Event Coordinator, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements of the contest.
In the event that the operation of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, the Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club (Event Coordinator) may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) terminate the contest and, in the event of termination, award the prize from among the eligible, legitimate entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Event Coordinator reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive or offensive manner.
By participating in the contest, entrants agree that all photos, videos, descriptions, and likeness of the dogs and their owners submitted to the contest or taken at contest sponsored events can be used without permission by Event Coordinator, participating shelters/rescues, or contest sponsors to promote this contest or any future contests the Event Coordinator or sponsors might develop. This includes but is not limited to using items in social media posts, websites, posters, flyers, specially brewed beer products, and other promotional products.
By participating in the Contest, entrants also agree to release and hold harmless the Event Coordinator, all participating shelters/rescues, all other Sponsors, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prize(s).
The following are requirements for all submitted photos:
You may enter photos in memory of your canine companion. Please note the following criteria about memorialized entries:
By submitting a photo, you certify that you own and possess all rights to your photo, and you give the NEW Top Dog contest unencumbered rights to use the photo for any and all purposes.
Photos that do not follow guidelines or are deemed inappropriate by the Event Coordinator will be removed at the discretion of contest officials. If you have any questions about photo submissions or criteria, please contact your contest administrator at info@newtopdog.com
Winning a prize is contingent upon compliance with all Official Rules. The Event Coordinator will attempt to notify winning participants by email or telephone within 14 days of the contest end date.
Proceeds from NEW Top Dog 2026 will benefit the participating shelters and the Event Coordinator, Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis.
This is the required “fine print.” All federal, state, local, and municipal laws and regulations apply.
Participation in the Contest constitutes agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of Event Coordinator, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon being compliant with these Official Rules and fulfilling all other requirements of the contest.
In the event that the operation of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, the Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club (Event Coordinator) may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Contest to address the impairment and then resume the contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) terminate the contest and, in the event of termination, award the prize from among the eligible, legitimate entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Event Coordinator reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive or offensive manner.
By participating in the contest, entrants agree that all photos, videos, descriptions, and likeness of the dogs and their owners submitted to the contest or taken at contest sponsored events can be used without permission by Event Coordinator, participating shelters/rescues, or contest sponsors to promote this contest or any future contests the Event Coordinator or sponsors might develop. This includes but is not limited to using items in social media posts, websites, posters, flyers, specially brewed beer products, and other promotional products.
By participating in the Contest, entrants also agree to release and hold harmless the Event Coordinator, all participating shelters/rescues, all other Sponsors, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with the contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use of the prize(s).
To enter your dog, visit newtopdog.com, select the “Shelter Name Contest” button located under your preferred area/shelter. This will take you to the shelter’s contest site, where you can follow a few simple prompts to enter. It’s that simple! Registration begins January 26, 2026.
The following are requirements for all submitted photos:
Photos that do not follow contest guidelines or are deemed inappropriate by the Event Coordinator will be removed at the discretion of contest officials. If your photo has been removed and you have questions, you can contact your contest administrator at info@newtopdog.com.
First, we’re sorry for your loss. Recent or distant, we all know that dogs bring us happiness that lives in our hearts forever. We’d be honored to have your pet’s memory shared in the NEW Top Dog contest! Another way to memorialize your pet during the contest is to submit votes that celebrate their life. All photo guidelines apply to memorialized entries.
Yes, you can! The $10 to register will be required for each contest that you register in. It’s also worth mentioning that each local contest will crown an individual winner. Therefore, votes for your dog will be kept separate for each contest. They will not be added together across multiple contests. If you’re trying to maximize your total votes to win prizes, you may wish to enter just one contest. If your goal is to help more than one of the benefiting shelters, you might consider voting in multiple contests as an alternative to registering in multiple contests.
Absolutely! There are no geographical boundaries for entering this contest.
Because winners of the contest will be relied upon for promotional material, it is important that the dog belongs to you. Of course, if you know somebody that needs help submitting their entry, please feel free to submit it on their behalf!
NEW Top Dog is a dog photo contest. But there is some good news for cat lovers! All of the benefiting shelters do help cats; some even have services to help small mammals. Either way, a vote for any dog is a vote for other pets (and kids too)! Visit newtopdog.com to make a difference.
To vote, visit newtopdog.com, select the Shelter Name Contest” button located under your preferred area/shelter. This will take you to that areas contest page. From there follow the prompts to vote. It’s super easy, and it’s just $1/vote.
Absolutely! There is no limit to the number of votes you can purchase, the number of times you vote, and/or the number of shelters whose contest(s) you vote in! Every dollar generated from voting and entries goes towards helping pets and kids, so the more, the merrier You can use the same sign-in name and password for all contests, but you will need to sign-in each time you visit another contest, as each contest has its own contest site. This means votes can’t be moved or banked across contests.
Absolutely! There is no limit to the number of votes you can purchase, the number of times you vote, and/or the number of shelters whose contest(s) you vote in! Every dollar generated from voting and entries goes towards helping pets and kids, so the more, the merrier!
Within one of the contest sites, use the site navigation menu on the upper right hand corner and click “Manage My Account.” From this screen, you will be given the option to view your entries and/or votes.
The vote bank is an infrequently used option. This feature allows voters to purchase all of their votes (for a single contest) at one time on a single credit card transaction. Banked votes can only be used in the contest they were originally purchased in. Once you’ve banked your votes, you can allocate them to multiple entries (within the same contest), or you can save them for allocation at a later date (again, within the same contest). Banked votes must be used before the contest ends. Any unallocated votes will be considered a contest donation.
For each individual contest, proceeds from entries and voting will benefit the named shelter and Kiwanis. The net proceeds from each shelter contest is split 50/50 between the shelter (to support pets) and the Kiwanis (to support kids) after expenses.
The Event Coordinator will attempt to notify winning participants by email or telephone within 14 days of the contest end date. Prize winners will be given instructions about where to pick up prizes (as per the schedule noted below).
All NEW Top Dog beers will be released in Spring (2026). Be sure to follow our social channels to stay tuned for more information!
Club officers and members of Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis are the organizers (and a beneficiary) of the NEW Top Dog 2026 contest.
The Oshkosh Mid-Morning Kiwanis Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to “Serve the Children of the World.” Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.
Once entries are created, they cannot be moved. You will be asked to confirm the shelter you are participating with when creating your entry profile.
If you need a different photo uploaded to your existing entry, email the photo to: info@newtopdog.com. Use “New Photo - (your dog’s name)” as the subject line and please include the email address you registered under if not using that address to send the email. All new photos must still meet the contest criteria. Please allow up to 24hrs for your request to be processed.
Copyright 2025 NEW Top Dog
