Crufts hero dog terms and conditions
These Terms and Conditions apply to nominations for the Crufts Hero Dog Awards 2027. By submitting a nomination, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.
1. The award
The Crufts Hero Dog Awards celebrate dogs whose stories demonstrate the extraordinary difference dogs can make to people’s lives and communities.
The awards are organised by The Royal Kennel Club Limited (RKC).
Five Hero Dog finalists will be selected from the nominations received. The five finalists will go forward to a public vote, with the overall winner named the Crufts Hero Dog Awards 2027 People’s Champion.
2. Nomination period
Nominations open: 1 October 2026
Nominations close: 11.59pm on 31 October 2026
Nominations received after the closing date will not be considered.
The RKC reserves the right to extend or amend the nomination period where necessary.
3. Who can nominate?
Nominations are open to UK residents only.
You may nominate:
- Yourself and your dog; or
- Another person and their dog.
You may submit more than one nomination. However, submitting multiple nominations for the same dog will not increase that dog’s chances of being selected.
Nominating someone under 18
Where a nomination involves a person under the age of 18, you must confirm that you have permission from their parent or legal guardian to nominate them.
Further parent or legal guardian permission will be required before they can take part in any publicity or media activity. Please provide contact details for their parent or guardian, rather than the nominee, as part of the nomination.
Nominating someone else
If you are nominating someone else, you should ensure that the information you provide is accurate and that you have permission to provide their details.
4. Eligible dogs
The Crufts Hero Dog Awards are open to dogs from across the UK.
Dogs do not need to have competed at Crufts or taken part in Royal Kennel Club activities to be considered.
5. Making a nomination
Nominations must be submitted using the official Crufts Hero Dog Awards nomination form.
You will be asked to provide:
- Information about the dog and their story;
- Relevant contact information; and
- A photograph.
Please provide as much accurate information as possible to help the judging panel.
The Crufts press office may contact nominators or nominees to request further information or verify information included within a nomination.
6. Photographs and submitted material
You should only upload photographs that you have the right or permission to submit.
Additional consent may be sought where appropriate before material is published or used for promotional purposes.
7. Selecting the finalists
Following the close of nominations, eligible entries will be reviewed and five Hero Dog finalists will be selected by a judging panel appointed by the RKC.
The panel will consider the stories submitted and may request further information where required.
The decision of the judging panel is final.
The RKC reserves the right not to progress a nomination where:
- Information provided cannot reasonably be verified;
- Information is found to be materially inaccurate or misleading; or
- Progressing the nomination would raise significant concerns relating to dog welfare or the integrity of the award.
8. Finalist participation
The five selected finalists will be contacted by the RKC press office using the details provided as part of their nomination.
Media and promotional activity
Finalists will be expected to make themselves reasonably available for activity connected with the Crufts Hero Dog Awards. This may include:
- Photography;
- Filming;
- Interviews; and
- Other media opportunities in the lead-up to Crufts 2027.
This activity may require travel to London or other UK locations. Agreed travel expenses associated with official Crufts Hero Dog Awards activity will be covered by the RKC.
The RKC will work with finalists to support accessibility requirements and other circumstances that may affect their ability to participate.
Attending Crufts 2027
Finalists will also be expected to attend the Crufts Hero Dog Awards final at Crufts 2027.
Agreed travel expenses associated with attendance will be covered by the RKC.
9. Public vote and People’s Champion
The five finalists will go forward to a public vote to select the Crufts Hero Dog Awards 2027 People’s Champion.
The public voting period and full voting instructions will be published on Crufts.org.uk.
Voting closes: 11 March 2027.
The finalist receiving the highest number of valid votes will be named the Crufts Hero Dog Awards 2027 People’s Champion.
10. Charity donations
The Crufts Hero Dog Awards will support animal charities chosen by the five finalists.
- The charity selected by the People’s Champion will receive a £3,000 donation.
- The charities selected by each of the four other finalists will receive a £1,000 donation.
The RKC may need to confirm that a nominated charity is registered with the Charity Commission in the UK.
11. Honourable mentions and other stories
In addition to the five finalists, the RKC may identify other nominations that it would like to celebrate or feature as part of the Crufts Hero Dog Awards.
Being selected as an honourable mention does not make the nominee one of the five finalists and does not entitle them to a charity donation or other finalist benefits.
The RKC will contact the relevant person and seek appropriate permission before using their story for publicity or promotional purposes.
12. Publicity and media
Finalists may be featured across Crufts and Royal Kennel Club channels and in media activity relating to the awards.
This may include, but is not limited to:
- Photography;
- Filming and broadcast activity;
- Interviews; and
- Other promotional activity connected with Crufts.
The RKC will discuss relevant publicity and media activity with finalists and obtain any additional permissions or releases required.
For nominees under the age of 18, appropriate parent or legal guardian consent will be required.
13. Data protection
Personal information provided through the nomination process will be handled in accordance with Crufts’ applicable Privacy Notice.
Information will be used for the administration of the Crufts Hero Dog Awards, including:
- Assessing nominations;
- Contacting nominators and nominees;
- Administering the public vote; and
- Arranging finalist and media activity where applicable.
Where you provide personal information about another person, you should ensure they have authorised you to provide their information to the RKC.
14. Changes to or cancellation of the award
The RKC reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the award, its timings or arrangements where circumstances outside its reasonable control make this necessary.
Where possible, any significant changes affecting entrants or finalists will be communicated through the Crufts website or directly to those affected.
The RKC may suspend or cancel the award where circumstances make it unreasonable or impractical to continue.
15. General
The RKC reserves the right to reject or remove nominations that breach these Terms and Conditions.
The RKC’s decisions regarding eligibility, judging and administration of the award are final.
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Promoter: The Royal Kennel Club Limited, organiser of Crufts.
16. Reputational integrity and ethics
Nominees agree to uphold the values, ethos and dog welfare standards of Crufts and The Royal Kennel Club (RKC).
In particular, nominees must:
- Respect brand values: Align content and behaviour with Crufts’ objectives and public image.
- Protect canine welfare: Refrain from publishing or using event footage or content that portrays dogs in a negative, derogatory or harmful light.
- Safeguard reputation: Avoid any action, statement or omission that could cause adverse publicity, financial harm or reputational damage to Crufts, the RKC, or its members and affiliates.
