Celebrating the Furry, Feathered, and Scaled Heroes of Agency Life
Where the real agency MVPs get their moment in the spotlight
In the chaotic world of agency deadlines, client presentations, and creative challenges, there's one constant source of joy, comfort, and entertainment – our pets. They're our unofficial creative directors, emotional support systems, and the silent heroes who make agency life better. Now, it's time they got the recognition they deserve.
Indie Agency News Pet of the Year celebrates the animals who keep indie agency people sane, happy, and inspired. From the dogs who've attended more Zoom calls than most account executives to the cats whose judgment of your creative work is brutally honest – this is their moment to shine.
Plus, we'll make a $500 donation to the winner's favorite animal charity!
It's the simplest entry process ever – just share photos and videos of your pet, tell us what makes them special, and let the public decide who deserves the crown.
Why Enter Pet of the Year?
Recognition for your beloved pet: Give them the spotlight they deserve for their contributions to your work life
Community Connection: Share your pet's unique personality with the entire indie agency community
Amazing Prizes: Win a custom "Pet of the Year" medal, gift basket, and bragging rights
Support Animal Welfare: $500 donation to the winner's chosen animal charity
Connect with Pet-Loving Agencies: Discover who has the cutest "coworkers" in the industry
Spotlight Moment: Because after all those client presentations, your pet deserves their moment too
Our First People's Choice Award!
You're the judges! Vote for your favorite agency pet starting October 2nd!
See all the details in the sections below.
Who Is Eligible?
Entries are accepted from employees of independent agencies not owned by publicly traded holding companies, networks or companies where advertising/marketing is its main line of business.
- Open to all pets belonging to staff members at independent agencies
- All types of pets welcome – dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, rodents, farm animals, exotic pets
- Multiple entries from the same agency are allowed (different pets or different staff members)
- Your pet doesn't need professional photography – just their authentic, adorable selves
You can use photos and videos to showcase your pet's personality. Photos are required, but we strongly encourage you to include video! A short clip can really bring your pet's personality to life and often performs better in public voting.
Indie Agency News members receive a 25% entry discount. Please get in touch with us for your code.
Only Three to Six Fields to Fill Out
Entry Format
Basic Info
- • Pet's Name
- • Pet Type/Species/Breed
- • Pet's Age (if known)
- • Owner's Name
- • Owner's Agency
- • Owner's Role/Position
Four Key Questions
Tell us about your pet's personality and what makes them special.
Every pet has that one weird or hilarious thing they do that makes you laugh.
Whether they're keeping you company during Zoom calls, providing entertainment breaks, or just sleeping nearby while you work, tell us how your pet improves your workday.
Share any special stories, talents, challenges they've overcome, or what makes your bond with them unique.
Supporting Materials
- Photos of your pet (required – minimum 1, maximum 5)
- Short video of your pet (strongly encouraged – maximum 90 seconds)
- Brief caption for each photo/video explaining what we're seeing
Key Dates
Entry Deadlines + Fees (Hint, it's only $99 per entry)
- Entries Open: July 2, 2025
- Entries Close: October 2, 2025
- Public Voting: October 2-15, 2025
- Winners Revealed:
- October 20th: Places 40-31
- October 21st: Places 30-21
- October 22nd: Places 20-11
- October 23rd: Places 10-4
- October 24th: Top 3 winners
Note: Indie Agency News members receive a 25% entry discount. Contact us for your code.
Judging
How Judging Works
- All eligible entries will be part of a public voting round
- Anyone can vote (one vote per email address)
- The 40 pets with the most votes will be featured in our countdown
- The pet with the most votes wins the grand prize
- Voting open to everyone – encourage colleagues, friends and family to support your pet!
Livestreams, Celebrations + Prizes
Livestream dates
- September 15th: Places 40-31
- September 16th: Places 30-21
- September 17th: Places 20-11
- September 18th: Places 10-4
- September 19th: Top 3 winners
Prizes
- Official "Pet of the Year 2025" title and digital badge (but all pets in the Top 40 get a digital winners badge)
- A pet gift basket customized to your pet's species
- $500 donation to animal charity of winner's choice
- Bragging rights as having the most awesome pet in the indie agency world
Eligibility, Fees and Specs
Eligibility
Entries are accepted from employees of independent agencies not owned by publicly traded holding companies, networks or companies where advertising/marketing is its main line of business.
- Your pet must actually belong to you or be a legitimate office pet.
- An agency may submit multiple entries (different pets or different staff members).
- All entries are subject to eligibility review and approval. Entries knowingly submitted that don't meet requirements are not eligible for a refund.
- All pets on the Top 40 list receive social/visual assets to use at no extra cost.
- Entries may be from any country in the world – pets know no borders.
Fees
Entry Fee: $99 per pet
Indie Agency News Members: 25% off all entry fees. Contact us here if you qualify
Specs + Supporting Materials
Photos (Required)
- Formats: JPG, PNG, GIF
- Resolution: 72dpi
- Max Size: 10MB per image
- Minimum 1, Maximum 5 photos
Video (Strongly Encouraged)
- Formats: MP4, MOV
- Max Size: 500MB
- Max Length: 30 seconds
- Include passwords for any protected content
Audio (Optional)
- Format: MP3, WAV or AIFF
- Bitrate: 320 kbps
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
- Max Size: 5MB per file
Links
- URLs can point to pet Instagram accounts, TikTok videos, or other relevant online content
- All links must remain active through September 30, 2025
Pro tip: We're looking for authentic pet personalities, not professional photography. Candid, real-life pet moments are what we love to see! And don't forget to include video – it often performs better in voting!
Questions?
Have a question about Pet of the Year? Hit us up here and we'll get back to you faster than a golden retriever chasing a tennis ball.
Get in touch for 25% discount: top40@indieagency.newsReady to Give Your Pet the Spotlight?
It's time to show the world who the real agency heroes are!