Happy writing and good luck!

Check out last year's winners

Guidelines:

Submit a poem or piece of short prose with your pet (or anyone's pet) as its subject.

Write about your pet's quirky personality! Write from your pet's perspective! Or choose a unique and creative way to tell the world how your pet has changed your life.

Poem must be the author's original, previously unpublished work. Re-submitted poems (previously entered for BARKS Pet Poetry Contest 2010-2012) will not be considered.

Poems will be divided into Youth (2 sections - 6th grade and below, 7th grade and above) and Adult categories for judging.

Please submit plain text - advanced formatting is not an option.

You may submit more than one poem. Please only submit one poem per form.

Each submission should be no longer than 300 words (2000 characters with spaces). Longer works may not be considered.

Entrant grants first publication rights. Copyright subsequently reverts to the author.

Deadline for submission: May 26th Extended to May 31st, 2013 at midnight

No entry fee is required but a donation of $10 per poem is suggested for this charity fundraising event.

All proceeds will benefit BARKS – the Byram Animal Rescue Kindness Squad, Byram Twp., NJ. BARKS is an all volunteer, non-profit, registered charity.

The more you give, the more you help homeless animals!

Click below to donate to BARKS now!

Judging: Originality, emotion, technique and skill will all be considered during the judging process. All poems will be anonymous to the judges. This year we have a wonderful team of judges: read their bios.

Prizes: Winning poems and runners up wil be published on the BARKS web site and in Now Culture poetry magazine. Winning poets will be invited to read at the BARKS Luncheon on June 23th, 2012 (to be held at the beautiful Farmstead Country Club in Andover, NJ) where they will receive additional awards.