The search to find Rochester’s “Top Pet!”
Is your pet the sweetest, silliest, most awesome pet in the Greater Rochester Area? Now is the time to prove it! We’re on the search to find the Top Pet in the Greater Rochester Area while raising money for a great cause – pets in need! It’s a win, win!
New This Year!
Why feature one, when we can feature the top 14 in the Verona Street Animal Society 2027 calendar. Which month will your pet be!?! After the contest closes, the top 14 pets will be notified to come in for a mini photo shoot in which that photo will be used in the VSAS calendar. Each winner will receive a complimentary calendar.
The calendar is a VSAS fundraiser. Purchase your calendar NOW and it will be shipped to you or available for pick up at the shelter when they are ready!
It’s Easy To Participate!
Ready to see if your pet has what it takes to be named Rochester’s Top Pet?
- Donate $10 to enter, upload a photo of your pet, and write a short description of why they are the best! You can enter the contest from 8:00 AM (Eastern Time) on Sunday, February 1, 2026 till 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Saturday, February 28, 2026, BUT REMEMBER, the sooner you enter, the longer you have to collect votes!
- Voting opens 12:00 AM (Eastern Time) on Thursday, February 5, 2026 and closes at 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) on Saturday, February 28, 2026. Get the voting started by convincing friends, family, and neighbors to support your nomination! Votes cost just $1, and they can vote as often and as many times as they’d like!
Categories
Choose one of two categories to participate in when creating your pets profile.
- Roc Top Pet Contestant (eligible for prizes)– Winning pet takes the crown and is featured on the Top Pet Ale; prizes awarded to Top 5 finalists and the Top 12 will be featured in the VSAS calendar.
- Honorary &/or in Memory Contestant (not prize eligible) – Local pets not competing in contest or have passed and we wish to remember but are supporting VSAS with their votes.
Win Great Prizes!
While the real prize is bragging rights and recognition from the community that your pup is Top Pet, there are all sorts of other cool prizes you could win!
The top vote-getter pet will be featured on the Roc Top Pet Ale beer, a specially blended brew created by brewmasters from Three Heads Brewing! The brew will be sold as a limited release beer at their brewery and distributed in local Wegmans stores! How cool is that!?!? A special release party will happen Sunday, March 15 when the winners will also be announced! In addition to the top 5 pets, and only 5 pets being announced and receiving additional prizes. The top 14 pets will be featured in the 2027 VSAS Calendar.
Be sure to check out the full list of prizes to see what you could win!
Your Participation Helps Local Animals!
As if you needed another reason to get involved, let’s talk about the biggest reason for participating in the Roc Top Pet contest — pets in our community in need! As noted, this event is a fundraiser for Verona Street Animal Society who supports the mission of Rochester Animal Services and their goal to create safe neighborhoods, support the human-animal bond, and save and enhance lives.
You can learn more about VSAS And RAS here.
VSAS ALUMNI!
We love our VSAS Alumni and love seeing them in happy, healthy homes! If the pet you are submitting was adopted or a foster from Rochester Animal Services, indicate it in their profile and 50 additional votes will be added to their account.
VSAS Fosters
Thank you fosters for everything you do in helping our pets find new homes. Fosters receive a complimentary entry into the contest. Contact allie@vsas.org for a code.
Sponsors
2025’s winner: Woody
Past Winners
