The 2026 America’s Favourite Pet online voting contest opened registration on January 12, 2026, and closed on February 15, according to a November 2025 release from Colossal, the event’s professional fundraiser.
Hosted by actress‑activist Jenny McCarthy and singer‑actor Donnie Wahlberg, the competition let pet owners register one dog or cat per household, upload a photo, and then rally friends and family for votes. Colossal’s release explained that every 24 hours a voter received one free vote, while each additional vote cost one dollar, with the proceeds directed to the beneficiary.
The beneficiary is the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Washington State. Chief executive officer Heidi Wills told supporters that the campaign helped rescue emaciated dogs from a hoarding situation, care for animals displaced by natural disasters, and meet urgent needs of more than 150 wildlife species.
The 2025 edition of the contest raised more than $8 million, which financed the construction of a 25‑acre wildlife rehabilitation centre in Washington and expanded educational programmes that reached over 4,000 students nationwide, Colossal’s release said.
The 2026 competition carried the momentum forward. The official America’s Favourite Pet website named Rockefeller, a nine‑year‑old Morkie from New York City, and Sammy, a Ragdoll cat, as winners, who will appear on the covers of Modern Dog and Modern Cat magazines. The new centre will allow PAWS to broaden its rescue and rehabilitation services across the state.