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Veterinarian of the Year Contest Rules

The Westminster 2023 Veterinarian of the Year Award Contest in Collaboration with Trupanion Official Rules

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. BY ENTERING, ENTRANT AGREES TO BE BOUND BY THESE OFFICIAL RULES.

  1. SPONSOR.  The Westminster Kennel Club (hereinafter “Sponsor” or “WKC”). 
     
  2. DATES/CONTEST PERIOD.  The Entry Period runs from 12:01 AM (ET) on March 27, 2023 to 11:59 PM (ET) April 9, 2023 or until 300 entries that comply with these Official Rules are received (“Entry Period”). Only nominations submitted during the Entry Period will be eligible to win the prize.  Initial judging will take place from April 9, 2023 to April 11, 2023.  Final judging [voting] will take place from April 17, 2023 to April 21, 2023.
     
  3. WHO MAY ENTER: The Contest is open to residents of one of the fifty (50) states of the United States of America or the District of Columbia (excluding, without limitation, overseas military installations, Puerto Rico or other territories of the United States of America) who are 18 and older. By submitting an entry/nomination, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules.

Employees, officers, or directors of Sponsor or Trupanion, Inc. (“Trupanion”) and their respective affiliates, administrative, advertising, and promotion agencies, and any other entity involved in the development, administration, promotion, or implementation of the Contest and their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings and children) are ineligible to enter, participate or win.

  1. HOW TO ENTER:  Entries must be received during the Entry Period.  To enter a veterinarian in the Contest, complete a nomination form on westminsterkennelclub.org which includes a written narrative describing how the nominated veterinarian has made a difference in his/her community.  Entrants may complete the form themselves (referred to as an “Entrant”), or be nominated by a third party (referred to as a “Nominator”). 

No other forms of entry are permitted.

  1. SELECTION OF FINALISTS: 

Four (4) regional finalists will be selected from among the qualified entries received during the Entry Period by a panel of judges consisting of 3 representatives of WKC and 3 representatives of Trupanion. 

Regional finalists will be the Entrant from each region that best demonstrates that the veterinarian:

  • has actively improved the lives of pets and owners
  • has elevated the bar for best treatments
  • has mentored the next generation of veterinary professionals
  • has pursued a passion to advance the profession

(the “Criteria”). The Criteria will be given equal weight.

For the purposes of this contest, the regions are as follows: Midwest Region: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin; Northeast Region: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia; Southern Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia; Western Region: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. In the event that no qualified entries are received from any of the regions, Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, either to select an additional Entrant from one of the other regions, or to limit the total number of finalists. Entrants and Nominators agree that the sole and final judgement as to all matters concerning the Contest are at the sole discretion of WKC and its officers and staff.

  1. WINNER SELECTION:  Finalists or their Nominators will be contacted on or about April 11, 2023.  To proceed in the contest, nominated veterinarians must submit an affidavit of eligibility, publicity release (except where prohibited by law) and consent to the Official Rules by April 17, 2023 along with a video entry no greater than one minute thirty seconds (00:01:30) in length (the “Video Entry”).  The Video Entry should contain a statement of how the Entrant meets the Criteria.    

Entrants and Nominators submitting Video Entries hereby grant WKC and Trupanion an unlimited license to copy, display, edit and distribute the Video Entry on social media, on WKC and Trupanion’s respective website(s) and by any other means now known or hereinafter developed, for any purpose[ML2] .  Nominators and Entrants represent and warrant that WKC and/or Trupanion’s reproduction, publishing, displaying, and/or other use of the Video Entry will not infringe on any rights of third parties, including, without limitation, copyright, trademark, privacy, or publicity, or create claims for defamation, false light, idea misappropriation, intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress, or breach of contract.  The Video Entry shall also not contain material that is potentially offensive, or immoral, or that may hold WKC, Trupanion, or any other person or entity up to potential ridicule, embarrassment, contempt or scandal, or that otherwise potentially denigrates or compromises the reputation, integrity, image, or goodwill of WKC, Trupanion, or any other person or entity.  Nominators and Entrants warrant that all necessary publicity releases have been obtained from any person appearing in their Video Entry and agree to submit all such releases in conjunction with the submission of the video. In particular, Nominators and Entrants have been granted the right to use the likeness of any person appearing in a Video Entry in all manners granted to WKC and Trupanion by Nominators and Entrants herein and to sublicense those rights to WKC and Trupanion.  Any Video Entry not accompanied by the necessary releases will be disqualified.  If requested by Sponsor, Entrant and Nominators will execute an affidavit of eligibility, liability release and publicity release and will procure any necessary publicity releases from any people depicted in their Video Entries.  In the event that a Video Entry from a finalist is deemed to be in violation of these Official Rules, or if Entrant or Nominator is unable or unwilling to provide any necessary affidavit or release, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion disqualify the entry, select an alternate finalist and solicit a Video Entry from that alternate.

Video submissions will be shared on Sponsor’s Twitter feed (@wkcdogs), Instagram account (westminsterkennelclub) and Facebook page (@WKCDogShow) from April 17, 2023 at 12:00 a.m. to April 21, 2023 at 11:59:59 p.m. (the “Contest Period”). 

The winner will be the Finalist who receives the most cumulative likes/favorites (likes on Facebook and Instagram and favorites on Twitter) based on the stated Criteria during the Contest Period. 

The winner will be invited to attend the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show which will be held on May 6, 8 and 9, 2023, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows– Corona Park in Queens, New York City.  In the event he/she cannot attend, winner will make themselves available for remote interviews leading up to and during the show.

Winner will also be announced via posts on Sponsor’s Twitter feed (@wkcdogs), Instagram account (westminsterkennelclub) and Facebook page (@WKCDogShow) on or around April 21, 2023.

If Sponsor is, for any reason, unable to contact the winner, the winner does not reply to notification, or fails to execute an requested affidavit of eligibility, liability release and publicity release (except where prohibited by law) within 24 hours of notification, or is found to have violated the Official Rules or is otherwise determined to be ineligible, the potential winner will be disqualified and Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, select the finalist with the next highest number of votes as an alternate winner.

  1. PRIZES: The winner receives one (1) grand prize package consisting of two (2) airline tickets to the 2023 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, a four (4) night hotel stay and two (2) tickets to the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  Airfare and hotel are subject to availability. Sponsor will also provide the winning veterinarian’s office with a WKC merchandise prize pack, including WKC branded tote or duffel bags, blankets and dog toys.  Retail value of the grand prize is approximately $4,800. Actual retail value of the prize depends on location of the winner and airline availability. 

Sponsor will also make a donation in the amount of $10,000 to MightyVet in the winning veterinarian’s name. 

Finalists/Runners up receive prizes: Runners up will each receive a WKC merchandise prize pack valued at $300.

  1. ODDS OF WINNING: Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
     
  2. PRIVACY AND THIRD-PARTY TERMS: By participating in the Contest, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to Sponsor’s privacy policy located at https://fwkc-web-prod.corebine.com/en/privacy-policy and Trupanion’s privacy policy located at https://trupanion.com/about/privacy-policy-main. You also acknowledge that Sponsor and Trupanion are not responsible for the privacy policies of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and you should review the relevant policies so you understand the information that is shared by the social media sites.
     
  3. GENERAL TERMS: Participation in this Contest constitutes full acceptance of all of these rules. Failure to comply with these Official Rules or the taking of any action which is contrary to the fair administration of this Contest shall disqualify the entry.

By entering the Contest, Entrants and Nominators grant Sponsor, Trupanion, and each of their respective affiliates, and successors a non-exclusive, royalty-free, and irrevocable license to use, reproduce, copy, publish, display, distribute, perform, translate, adapt, modify, create derivative works from and otherwise exploit the Entries, along with the Entrant’s name, likeness, statements (written or oral) and place of residence (city and state) in any and all markets and media worldwide in perpetuity without additional compensation, notification, permission or approval for the purpose of announcing the winners, and promoting the Contest or similar future contests.

By entering the Contest, Entrants and Nominators release Sponsor, Trupanion, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, affiliates, successors and their agents and employees from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, or damages or losses to any person or property of any kind that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from such Nominator’s or Entrant’s participation in the Contest or resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any Prize or any portion thereof (including any travel related thereto).

Entrants and Nominators agree that the sole and final judgement as to all matters concerning the Contest are at the sole discretion of WKC and its officers and staff.  Decisions by Sponsor and regarding eligibility, drawing and winners shall be final. This Contest may be withdrawn or canceled by Sponsor at any time without any obligation. If, in its sole discretion, Sponsor deems the Contest is not capable of running as planned if or Sponsor believes that conditions, including such as computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control, such as earthquake, flood, fire, storm or other natural disaster, act of God, labor controversy or threat thereof, civil disturbance or commotion, disruption of the public markets, act of terrorism, war or armed conflict (whether or not officially declared), may corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Contest, Sponsor reserves the right, to terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Notice of cancellation will be posted on Sponsor’s Twitter feed (@wkcdogs), Instagram account (westminsterkennelclub) and Facebook page (@WKCDogShow).

Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any Nominator or Entrant it finds to be tampering with the entry process or operation of the Contest; to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner; or to have otherwise violated any of the Official Rules.  Only one vote is permitted per finalist per platform.  Fake or dummy accounts created for the purpose of submitting additional votes are strictly prohibited. 

Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. No other substitution or transfer of Prize is permitted.

ANY ATTEMPT BY A CONTESTANT, INDIVIDUAL, OR ORGANIZATION TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.  The failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not be deemed a waiver of that provision.

Sponsor, Trupanion, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and their employees, affiliates, contractors, representatives and legal advisors, are not responsible for: (1) technical, hardware or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete or garbled or delayed electronic communications, whether caused by the Entrant, Nominator, or by the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest or by any human error or unauthorized intervention which may occur in the processing of the entries or administration of this Contest; (2) entries which are not received or accounted for due to the foregoing technical issues or any other reason whatsoever; (3) any printing or typographical errors in any material related to the Contest; or (4) any injury or damage resulting directly or indirectly from an Entrant or Nominator’s participation in the Contest, including, but not limited to downloading any materials, files or software in connection with the Contest, nor acceptance, receipt, use or misuse of any prize.

Under no circumstances will Entrant or Nominator be permitted to recover awards for, and Entrant and Nominator hereby waive all rights to claim, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses associated with entering this Contest, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

Under no circumstances shall any Entrant, Nominator or other entity or person have any right to audit the records of Sponsor or Trupanion in connection with this Contest.

The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. Headings and captions are used in these Official Rules solely for ease of reference, and shall not be deemed to affect in any manner the meaning or intent of these Official Rules or any provision hereof. These Official Rules cannot be modified or amended in any way except in writing by a duly authorized representative of Sponsor.

Entrants and Nominators agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Contest or any Prize awarded and all issues and questions concerning the validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction sitting in New York County, New York. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Entrant, Nominator, Trupanion, and Sponsor in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

Any and all disputes arising out of this Contest shall be brought within one year of the end of the Contest Period, notwithstanding any contrary statute of limitations.

  1. ACCEPTANCE AND USE/TAXES: Acceptance or use of a Prize arising from this Contest is the sole responsibility of the winner. Income and any other taxes on the value of the Prizes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Sponsor will report the value of the income to federal, state and local authorities and provide 1099s or appropriate tax forms as required by law.
     
  2. WINNER’S NAME: Winner’s name will be available following the Contest Date at https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/sponsorship-information/2023-veterinarian-of-the-year-rules and on Westminster’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. You may request a list of winners for up to six weeks following the Drawing Date by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Vet of the Year Contest – Winners’ List, 111 Broadway, Suite 805, New York, NY 10006.
     
  3. SPONSOR/ADMINISTRATOR: Westminster Kennel Club, 111 Broadway, Suite 805, New York, NY 10006 is the Sponsor of this Contest. The contest is being administered [jointly by Westminster Kennel Club and GLOW, 333 Hudson St. Suite 302 New York, NY 10013. This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter or Instagram.
     
  4. RULES REQUEST: Official Rules may be viewed at Sponsor’s website at https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/sponsorship-information/2023-veterinarian-of-the-year-rules You may also receive an electronic copy by emailing info@westminsterkennelclub.org. To receive a printed copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Veterinarian of the Year – Rules 111 Broadway, Suite 805, New York, NY 10006.