NEPAH Official Contest Rules

Northeast Pet and Handler Contest

 Official Contest Rules

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The following are the official rules of the contest

1.            Contestants must be at least twenty one years of age by the start of the contest and may be any gender and sexuality.

2.            Contestants must identify as a pet or handler.

3.            Contestants must live in the Northeast geographical area, which is comprised of the following states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

4.            All contestants are required to submit a donation basket that will be auctioned off to help raise money for the titleholders' travel funds.

5.            Sponsorship is optional. As the Producer of the NEPAH contest, NYC-PAH is unable to sponsor any contestants. Sponsorship may be sought out to mitigate travel expenses, coordinate donation baskets, or for any other contributions to support the contestant throughout the weekend. Any sponsorship must be disclosed on the application, or in writing to the Producers if attained after submitting the application.

6.            All applications will be reviewed by the Producers before approving contestants to compete. Applications must be submitted by 5 days before the scheduledMeet and Sniff at 11:59 PM EST.

7. All applicants must submit all social media accounts they have.  They must allow the Producers to be able to view the current and history of their public facing accounts. Any questions regarding past behavior will be addressed at that time. Examples are, but not limited to: symbols that promote racism, bigotry, speech that squelches diversity and inclusion, rhetoric that is consistently inflammatory in nature, espousal of willful consent violations.

8.            Contestants must agree to appear onstage wearing appropriate gear/clothing and participate in all judged categories while conforming to local regulations pertaining to nudity and obscenity. Actual sexual acts are not permitted on the stage. For the purpose of this contest, genital areas must be covered at all times. When outside the confines of the contest (public areas), also cover your butt.

9.            Contestants must agree to and sign the NEPAH Photography Release form.

10.          Pet and handler contestants that choose to complete as a pair will be judged and scored independently, even if their on-stage performances are together.

11.          Contestants may not attempt to sway the judges through gifts, meals, favors, or similar acts. In addition, contestants must adhere to the "Fraternization with the Judges" policy found in the contest guide.

12.          Illegal drug use is prohibited.

13.          All rules and regulations imposed by the Northeast Pet and Handler Contest must be followed. Failure to do so may result in removal from the Northeast Pet and Handler Contest, which would result in immediate disqualification.

14.          These rules may be amended by the Producers of the contest if need arises. If this occurs, all parties involved will be notified.

15.          The Producers and the staff of the contest do not have any authority to override any judge's

decision. The Head Judge is in charge of the panel of judges. As it relates to scoring, the decision of the Head Judge is final.

16.          In case of a tie, the Head Judge will make the final decision.

17.          Contestants must agree that if they win they will represent the Northeast Pet or Handler title throughout the title year as explained in the "Expectations of our winners" document. This includes refraining from competition in any other leather/puppy/rubber/fetish contest until the conclusion of their Northeast Pet or Handler Title year unless approved in writing by NEPAH Producers, with the exception of IPTC (International Puppy and Trainer Contest) at which the contestants are encouraged to compete. Additionally titleholders must return to the NEPAH contest the following year to step down from their title, and may be asked to teach or volunteer in other roles.

18.          In the event of a first runner up, the first runner-up agrees to assume the title, privileges, and responsibilities of the winner if the winner resigns or has their title revoked.

19.          The title year is defined as beginning when a contestant is named the winner of the Northeast Pet and Handler contest and concludes at the following year's contest when a new winner is announced.

20.          After the contest, the winners will meet with the Producers to discuss and begin planning how the titleholder will meet the expectations as listed in the "Expectation of winners" document. The titleholders will also be expected to sign an additional photo release that covers all future events in which the winner is representing NEPAH as the titleholder.

Most important Rule :  Have fun and remember this amazing experience you share with your contestant class.  You have made lifetime friends

 

Contestants should arrive on-site for registration no later than 5:00pm on Friday of the contest weekend start, and should appear on time, in person at all scheduled events during the NEPAH weekend through Sunday at 2pm. Contestants may be disqualified from the contest at the discretion of the Producers of NEPAH if they are unable to make all scheduled events or if they are tardy frequently throughout the weekend.

Contestants not following the rules will be subject to disciplinary action, which may take form of point reduction or disqualification as decided by the Producers and Head Judge.

Contestants are strongly encouraged to allow for enough time to decompress on either side of the contest and compensate for any possible travel delays/conflicts.