We are excited to announce the steps we are taking to ensure the AZ Puppy Contest moves forward into the future in an independent, sustainable, and transparent way that remains relevant to the changing needs of our community.
The history of AZPC & The Need for Stewardship
We created the AZ Puppy Contest as a love letter to our community. We saw the excitement an annual contest brings to nearby communities like in Los Angeles and Dallas, etc, and we wanted to bring that annual moment of celebration and pomp and circumstance to our home. We also saw how Community Title contests and Pageants can be opportunities for new leaders to rise, and we hoped ours would empower new leaders in the Arizona human puppy play community.
In order to ensure that these ideas continue to guide the contest and its weekend of celebration and that it continues to represent the whole community, we are taking steps to share the responsibilities of caring for the future of the event and the Title to a wider group of incredible people who will act as stewards of a bright future.
We are excited to announce the formation of the AZ Puppy Contest Stewardship Team. These people will lead the contest into the future in a way that ensures it is something of the community, by the community, and for the community.
We are excited to explain to you what that means.
Vision for the AZ puppy Stewardship Team
A team shall be formed to guide the future of the AZ Puppy Contest with an emphasis on independence from any one group or individual’s opinions or biases. This group shall be Stewards, not leaders, of something that is special and important and not owned by someone but by its community. They will work to make sure it operates in a way that is sustainable. They will ensure transparency and openness with how the contest is run. They will guide it in a way that pushes it to remain relevant and legitimate as times change.
Who Makes Up the AZ Puppy Stewardship Team:
Each contest year, which begins in January and ends in December, a seven-person team shall form. This team shall be formed from the following sources to ensure diversity of ideas and opinions:
- A seat shall be held by the current “AZ Puppy” titleholder.
- A seat shall be held by the immediate past “AZ Puppy” titleholder.
- Two seats shall be held by persons selected by the current and past AZ Puppy. They will hold a seat during both years that titleholder also sits on the team.
- AZ Puppy 2025 Midnight shall nominate one person for the 2026 and 2027 contest years.
- AZ Puppy 2024 Stitch shall nominate one person for the 2026 contest year.
- Two seats shall be held by Midnight Howl Events, as the financial guarantor and logistics organizer of the contest and related events.
- One seats shall be held by a person for a one-year term, selected by consent of the remaining members.
AZ Puppy Stewardship Team Member Requirements:
Each member of the AZ Puppy Stewardship Team shall meet the following requirements:
- Is a person of good character, especially who is known to be responsible and respectful in interactions with others, including in-person social interactions, online, and during dynamics or play.
- Is a person of outstanding reputation, with knowledge, experience, and leadership traits.
- Identifies as a member of the “human Puppy Play”, “leather,” “kink”, or “furry” community.
- Considers the United States of America, state of Arizona as their home, and holds residence in the state at the time they take the seat. They need not remain a resident during their whole term, provided they remain active and engaged with the team.
- Agrees to utilize their role in this team to further the mission of the AZ Puppy Contest.
- Agrees to resign their seat or decline a nomination if they intend to apply to the contest. Once a stewardship team holds their first meeting for a contest year, all members of the team will be ineligible from competition that contest year.
- May not be selected as a Judge of the AZ Puppy Contest during years which they serve as a Steward.
The purpose of the team shall be to:
- Collaboratively maintain the AZ Puppy Contest rules and process, including rules for the Stewardship Team and AZ Puppy Titleholders’ Fund, making updates each year to ensure the contest and its process remains relevant to the changing needs of our community and lend itself to the legitimacy of the contest.
- Collaboratively select the annual slate of judges, upon whom we entrust with the selection of our titleholders to represent us each contest year.
- Oversee and participate in the annual selection of contestants.
- Approve the annual budget and review and audit financial records of the annual contest and related events. Ensure that finances are handled responsibly, organizers are responsible stewards of community resources, and ensure no individuals are able to receive personal enrichment from the finances of the contest and its related events.
- Midnight Howl Events, as the financial guarantor of the contest and related events, shall hold a veto over decisions related to the financial management of the events provided it is with the justification of ensuring solvency of the contest and or to minimize risk.
- Oversee the AZ Puppy Titleholders’ Fund. Review and audit financial records of the fund, ensure finances are handled responsibly, and ensure the fund’s use is a responsible use community-provided funds. Ensure individuals are unable to receive personal enrichment from the finances of the AZ Puppy Titleholder’s Fund.
- If necessary, conduct investigations into Titleholder behavior, and impose sanctions or consequences as necessary. (The Stewardship Team will require a Titleholder under investigation to abstain from discussions considering that person’s conduct.)
- Act as a resource for Titleholders, ensuring they have access to and/or are aware of community tangible and intangible resources they can utilize to accomplish personal goals and make impacts in and for our community.
More Details:
This outline for the AZ Puppy Stewardship Team is a start. As the people who will conduct the annual rule making and revisions, they will also have the duty to further define their own process. Questions they will ask themselves when they start to meet, will include:
- How are empty seats are filled, if at all?
- How will the team communicate decisions to our community, i.e.: as meeting notes/minutes, as news posts on our website and social media, etc?
- and more.
What’s Next
As of this announcement, five of the seven team members for 2026 are selected and will kick off their work in January. Their first order of duty is to update the rules for 2026 and kick off the AZ Puppy Contest 2026 applications, ideally in mid February to early March. The next time you hear from us will be to introduce the members of the 2026 Stewardship team.
Until then… bark bark, awroo!