Stray to Stay
Tell us how you rescued your beloved pets and share their adoption story.
Prizes
- First place:
- $2,500
- Second place:
- $1,000
- Third place:
- $500
Matching grand prize donation to benefit the ASPCA.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Mar 24, 2021
Submissions closed
Apr 21, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Apr 27, 2021
Prizes
- First place:
- $2,500
- Second place:
- $1,000
- Third place:
- $500
Matching grand prize donation to benefit the ASPCA.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Mar 24, 2021
Submissions closed
Apr 21, 2021 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Apr 27, 2021
About this challenge
You've heard it before, "adopt, don't shop!" We couldn't agree more, especially during these times, where shelters and rescue centers are at capacity and need our help in order to save more lives. There are many pets that could use our love and a second chance!
Enter the Stray to Stay Challenge by sharing your pet adoption story—tell us how you knew they were the one, what about their personality drew you to them the most, and why haven't you looked back since! Encourage others to give second chances, just like you did. Be sure to include photos or videos of your furry, scaled, or feathered best friend! If you haven't adopted a pet yet, this is your chance to tell us about the kind of companion you'd love to adopt in the near future!
How to enter
For your story to be eligible, it must be between 600 and 5,000 words and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Stories published on Vocal and entered into the contest up until April 20, 2021, at 11:59 PM EST will be entered for consideration. Official Rules for the Challenge can be found here.
To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or third place prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these 35 countries will not be eligible to win.
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Challenge resources
Just a Minute Challenge Winners
Thanks again to Vocal Creator, Breezy, for suggesting the Just a Minute Challenge — one which you all interpreted in a wonderful variety of ways. Sometimes a minute can feel like an eternity, sometimes it can pass in the blink of an eye… to describe the passing of sixty seconds is no simple matter.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 14 days ago in ResourcesIn Eclipse Challenge Winners
Creator Dane BH is one of our Vocal stalwarts. We’re so grateful to all of your in our Vocal community, and so thrilled by your achievements. This is the third time Dane has won one of our challenges, and she appears too on our Vocal podcast, Write Here, Write Now — take a listen if you haven’t already. But she’s not our winner because we know her: the subtlety and simplicity of we watched the world go dark. together. is what made it our winner of the In Eclipse challenge, with the grace and ease of its lines and observation. As it happens it also expresses the community spirit that means so much to us.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 19 days ago in ResourcesWhispering Woods Challenge Winners
Congratulations to Morgan Christy Rickards for their winning Whispering Woods story, Guardian at the Gate. Morgan has been a Vocal creator since February 2021, and this is their first time placing in Challenge — well done, starting with a win! Guardian at the Gate draws evocatively from Welsh tales of the Cantre'r Gwaelod, a lost sunken kingdom between the forest and the sea. Heledd’s dangerous adventure pulls her towards the water but her spirit is anchored in the woods: Morgan’s writing is atmospheric and exciting.
Vocal Curation TeamPublished 2 months ago in Resources