We received so many furtastic photo entries into our Woofs, Hooves, and Whiskers Calendar Contest! Thanks to our contest participants, voters, and sponsors from our friends at Kirby Subaru and Kittyland Resort, we surpassed our fundraising goal of $10,000! Thank you to all who entered and voted!

Furry friends receiving the most votes in each category were awarded first place, with one pet taking home the grand prize of overall top-voted animal. All of our pawsome participants are winners in our eyes, but three cover-worthy pets pulled ahead to take the crown in each category. These three lucky pets will each receive a special prize package, including a month spread in our 2025 calendar! Keep reading to learn more about our first-place contest winners and stay tuned as we debut our full list of 12 winners!

Grand Prize Winner & First Place Dog Category: Natasha

Natasha's playful photo was submitted by Summer McComas, owner of Ojai Fox Spa and long-time supporter of the HSVC. She adopted the gorgeous pup from the Los Angeles Animal Shelter in July 2010. Natasha crossed the rainbow bridge in January of 2024, and Summer entered her photo into our calendar contest to honor her memory. Her sweet smile won the hearts of many, gathering a total of 650 votes and making her our grand prize winner!

"Natasha was a special Jingo/GSD mix that was always by my side. She was a parkour expert before there was a name for the sport. She crossed over the rainbow bridge after 14 years with us. Not a day goes by that her memory of how special she was doesn’t bring a tear to my eye and a smile in my heart," said Summer. May she forever be in your heart!

First Place Cat Category: Rusty

Beautiful girl Rusty's photo was submitted by Aurora Soriano. The gorgeous Maine Coon mix may have come in second place overall, but she came in first place in the cat category with a whopping 605 votes! Her mama's name might look familiar to you because Rusty's brother, Jin Mao, won the cat category in last year's contest!

"She has filled our lives with love and joy since we adopted her from the Camarillo shelter in 2010. She is now 17 years old and loves to give kisses to all who greet her. She has recently slowed down but still has a heart of gold. Rusty is a testimony of the gems that are waiting at the shelter," said Aurora. 

First Place Other Category: Bobby

Bobby, a Blue and Gold Macaw, was three and a half years old when he came to live with his mom, Heather Rowe, in 1984. He claimed the first-place title in our other pets category with an astounding 405 votes!

According to Heather, Blue and Golds can live up to 60 years or more, though most live about 30 years. Some have even lived up to 100 years! Her wish is for people to realize the longevity of parrots and plan for them in case they outlive their owners. Most large parrots are rehomed 4-5 times throughout their lives. They are native to South America, and they are considered endangered in the wild.

"He's been my friend for 40 years! Bobby enjoys hanging out with his friend Cobi the Umbrella Cockatoo, begging for treats, and yelling when he is displeased with something. He also likes to remind our dogs that they should not run out the back door with a stern "No!" He is also a very good talker with a large vocabulary," said Heather.

Nine out of the twelve monthly spreads for our calendar were chosen by your votes! The remaining three spots (one from each category) will be selected by our animal-loving judges. With so many pawesome entries, we don't know how they're going to choose! See below to learn more about our esteemed panel of judges.

Dr. Christina Sisk: 

Dr. Sisk joined HSVC as our Director of Veterinary Services on March 1st, 2019. She oversees our spay and neuter clinic and the health and well-being of all animals in our care. When Dr. Sisk is not helping to improve the lives of animals in need, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children. Dr. Sisk has two rescue animals of her own, a dog adorably named Chester Copperpot and a one-eyed rescue cat named Rammers.

Val Gallagher:

Val began volunteering with the HSVC in the Summer of 2022. She is the proud owner of a doggie boutique in downtown Ventura called Dogtown VTA. Her store sells everything a pup would need, and she often donates to benefit animals in need at the HSVC. Like many volunteers, Val fell in love with a pup she met at the shelter and adopted her fur baby Mia in December of 2022. Val is an active member of the animal welfare community and we're grateful to have her as a judge!

John Chille:

John is a long-term HSVC volunteer and recently became our newest Volunteer Ambassador. He enjoys volunteering at offsite events with the animals and talking with the public about HSVC dogs. In his free time, he likes to sail on his boat and is even a sailing instructor. John enjoys photography and likes to take photos of the dogs at events. We thought he would be a perfect judge for the calendar contest!

Reminder! All entrants will receive a 2025 calendar in the mail, and those who purchased a calendar will receive their calendar by the Fall of 2024. Thank you to all who participated, voted, and helped spread the word about our contest! If you would like to buy additional calendars, you may do so by clicking the button below. 

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