In Our Christmas Pet Holiday Photo Contest: How Voting Works & How to Win

What the In Our Christmas Pet Holiday Photo Contest is

The In Our Christmas Pet Holiday Photo Contest is a seasonal public-vote promotion run by KLIX, the Idaho radio station that broadcasts as NewsRadio 1310. The contest appears on the station's newsradio1310.com domain rather than a third-party contest platform, and the same domain carries the station's Idaho and regional news coverage, trending promotions, and newsletter sign-ups.

The premise is simple and seasonal. As the 2015 contest page put it, supporters "Enter a photo of your pets in full Christmas spirit and you could win a Canon PowerShot SX520 HS camera from Valley View Veterinary Clinic." That edition paired the holiday theme with a local sponsor, a veterinary clinic, which is a natural fit for a pet photo competition and gives the prize a concrete, verifiable value rather than a vague store credit.

The contest sits inside the station's broader promotions lineup. The same site footer that carried the pet contest also promoted other giveaways, so the photo contest is one item in a rotating set of listener promotions rather than a standalone microsite. For supporters, that means the entry form and the ballot both appear on the station's regular news site, usually under a Contests or Photo Contest section label.

The dated record for the KLIX Christmas pet contest

Confirmed editions of the contest run in 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025. The pattern is a December promotion that has appeared in most recent years with some gaps, and the station's own contest URLs carry the year in the address, which makes each edition easy to identify.

The voting window is printed on the station's earlier contest pages as "December 16th through December 23rd at 10am." The same printed rules describe the close of a 2015 edition ballot as ending "at 11:59 p.m. MST Sunday, December 20," which shows the deadline has not been identical across every edition. The collection side of the cycle is also dated: the station wrote, "We'll collect photos through December 15th and then post the top 10 for online voting beginning December 16th."

Just as relevant for anyone planning a push is what the station leaves off the page. The contest page sets out no limit on how frequently a single person may cast a ballot and no entry eligibility terms; confirm on the live ballot each cycle. The same applies to the current cycle's exact open and close dates, since the station has not posted an announcement for the next edition and the most recent confirmed year is 2025.

For planning purposes, the safest reading is that the contest follows its December pattern, opens voting mid-month, and closes before Christmas, with the precise dates published only when the station posts the new edition.

How a supporter votes in the Christmas pet contest

The supporter's path runs through the station's own site. It begins before voting does: an owner submits a photo of a pet in Christmas spirit through the contest page during the collection period. The station's printed description of that phase reads, "We'll collect photos through December 15th and then post the top 10 for online voting beginning December 16th," so entry and voting are two distinct steps with a cut-off between them.

Once the shortlist posts, the voting phase is a straight public vote. The printed rules state, "Voting will be open to registered VIPs through December 23rd at 10am," which means a supporter needs a registered account on the station's member program before the ballot will count. That is the only membership requirement the printed rules mention, and it is the step most likely to trip up a first-time voter who arrives on deadline day.

In practice a supporter opens the contest page on newsradio1310.com, signs in or registers, picks a favorite from the posted photos, and submits before the printed close. Because the window runs just over a week, from mid-December to the 23rd at 10am in the printed rules, there is little slack for a late start, and the 2015 edition's separate close of 11:59 p.m. MST on December 20 shows the deadline can land earlier than the printed pattern suggests.

How this ballot sits beside its Idaho neighbours

Idaho's public-vote landscape includes several programs a KLIX listener might also encounter, and each answers to a different publisher. The All About the Animals Coalition Pet Photo Calendar Contest is the closest cousin, since it is also a pet photo competition, but it feeds a calendar rather than a holiday prize and runs under an animal welfare coalition rather than a radio station.

The readers' choice family covers the state's regions separately: Best of Magic Valley Readers' Choice serves the KLIX listening area's broader region, while Best of Canyon County, Best of Greater Idaho Falls, and Best of North Idaho each cover their own markets under separate publishers. Boise Area Parade of Homes rounds out the set with a housing event rather than a vote for businesses or pets.

What makes the KLIX contest different is its host and its rhythm. It runs on the station's own domain instead of a dedicated contest platform, it is seasonal and tied to Christmas rather than an annual best-of cycle, and its ballot is a shortlist of pet photos rather than a directory of local businesses. A vote earned here supports a single photo entry, and the prize historically came from a local veterinary clinic rather than a title or badge.

Strengthening support for your pet's entry

This contest rewards early, personal outreach more than anything else. The collection phase ends December 15th and the vote runs from December 16th, so the supporters who matter are lined up before the shortlist posts. Share your entry link directly with family, friends, and coworkers, ask each person to register on the station's member program in advance, and remind them the printed close is December 23rd at 10am, a hard stop in a busy holiday week.

Because the ballot requires a registered account, a reminder that includes the sign-up step converts better than a bare link. A photo with a clear Christmas theme also travels further on social feeds, which is the free reach this format is built for.

KLIX has not printed a position on outside vote help for this promotion, so before considering any paid support, read the current contest page and buy award votes for how purchased support works in short-window public votes generally. Whatever route you take, the station's member requirement and the mid-morning close are the two constraints that shape every push.