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

1. Eligibility:  The 2020 Bark Madness Cutest Pet Contest is open to residents of the United States born on or after January 1, 2002 (Over the age of 18). Mesabi Tribune reserves the right to approve each entry.  Employees of the Mesabi Tribune and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter or win.

2. How to Enter:   The cost to enter is $10.00 per pet which also includes publication in the 2020 Cutest Pet supplement.   Entry forms can be found in editions of Mesabi Tribune and are available at Mesabi Tribune office.  To enter, return a completed form along with a photo of the pet and entry fee to Mesabi Tribune, 704 7^th Avenue, Virginia, MN 55792.  Pet Photo Registration will be from Sunday, September 13, 2020 through Friday September 25, 2020. Entries must be received in the office by 3:00 p.m. Friday, September 25, 2020.  Make checks payable to “Mesabi Tribune”.  Entries can also be submitted online until midnight Friday, September 25, 2020 through the Cutest Pet Contest registration page at www.mesabitribune.com.  Complete the entry form, upload a photo and complete the credit card payment information.  Finish by clicking the “SUBMIT” button.  The entry fee will appear on your credit card statement as “Online Contest-APT” from Advanced Publishing Technologies, Inc., Burbank, CA.

   Limit one pet per photo for contest entry.

   All photos should be of reproducible quality.  Images should be in focus and not grainy.   Kiosk and color printer copies cannot be accepted. Please write the pet’s name along with the name and phone number of the person submitting the entry on the back of the photo.  Printed photos can be picked up at Mesabi Tribune after the contest or will be returned if a self-addressed stamped envelope is provided.  Digital photos submitted online or emailed to Mesabi Tribune should be in JPG format and 240 dpi.

   All entries will be posted on the contest website as they are received.  Entries with incomplete or incorrect information will not be accepted. 

3. Copyrights: Entering the contest authorizes the Mesabi Tribune to place the pet’s name and photo, along with the entrants’ names, on the contest web site and in the Cutest Pet supplement.  Photos taken by professional photographers must have a release form.  The contest entrant will assume all copyright infringement charges and legal consequences incurred from unauthorized use of a restricted photo.

4. Voting:  Voting is open to the general public, limited to persons 18 years of age or older.  Each vote costs 50 cents. A minimum of $5.00 is required. There is no limit to the number of votes a person can make.  Voting totals will be posted online as they are received.

   Voting will begin at 12:01 a.m. (CST) Thursday, October 1, 2020 and conclude at midnight Sunday, October 18, 2020

   Votes may be submitted in-person or by mail at Mesabi Tribune office, or online.  Mailed and in-person votes must be received by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16, 2020.  Votes submitted through the contest website will be accepted until midnight on Sunday, October 18, 2020.

   On-line votes may be cast at www.mesabitribune.com using a valid credit card including MasterCard, Visa and Discover.  The minimum amount of votes purchased online with a credit card is $5.00.  Credit card transactions are non-cancelable and non-refundable. If your credit card is declined for any reason, no vote will be submitted on your behalf.  Charges for voting online will appear on your credit card statement as “Online Contest-APT” from Advanced Publishing Technologies, Inc., Burbank, CA.  Your computer must accept cookies which may be used for the purpose of entry tracking.  Ad blocking software on your computer needs to be disabled so it does not interfere with processing your entry.

   Proceeds from voting will help support a local area pet society/humane center.

5. Refund/Cancellation Policy:  All entry and voting fees are non-cancelable and non-refundable.

6. Prizes:  One Grand Prize winner will receive $300.00 and will have his/her photo published in color on the front cover of the 2020 Cutest Pet Edition.  The second place winner will be awarded $150.00.  The third place winner will be awarded $75.00.  Photos of the second and third place winners will be featured in the 2020 Cutest Pet Edition
 
7. Winner Determination, Notification and Acceptance:  The grand prize, second and third place winners will be the entries receiving the greatest number of votes.  In the event of a tie, the prizes will be combined and divided equally among the tied entries.  Odds of winning depend on the number of entries and eligible votes received.  Winners will be notified on or about October 23, 2020, at the email and/or telephone number provided on the winner’s entry form.  Results are not final until all voting transactions by check or credit card have been approved.  Acceptance of any prize constitutes winner’s consent to the publication of his or her name, biographical information and likeness in any media for promotional purposes without further compensation.  A valid photo identification of the entrant may be required.  Winners are solely responsible for reporting and paying of any taxes due on prizes.

8. Participation:  The 2020 Cutest Pet Contest is sponsored by Mesabi Tribune.   Entrants agree that all decisions of Mesabi Tribune regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the contest shall be final and binding. The Mesabi Tribune reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this contest.

9. Indemnification:  Mesabi Tribune will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, postage-due, misdirected or illegible entries or votes due to failure to receive entries 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 Mesabi Tribune. In the event the contest is compromised by a virus, tampering or other causes which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the contest, Mesabi Tribune reserves the right to suspend, modify or terminate the 2020 Cutest Pet Contest. Mesabi Tribune will not be responsible for typographical, printing or other inadvertent errors in these official rules or any other material regarding the contest.

If you have any questions regarding this contest, please email webmaster@mesabitribune.com.