Purina Veterinary Diets #VetVariety sweepstakes: Official sweepstakes rules

SWEEPSTAKES IS OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50  UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (D.C.), 18 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AT TIME OF ENTRY (19 years of age in AL and NE). SWEEPSTAKES IS INTENDED FOR PLAY IN THE UNITED STATES ONLY AND WILL BE GOVERNED ACCORDING TO U.S. LAW. DO NOT PARTICIPATE UNLESS YOU ARE ELIGIBLE AND LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO PARTICIPATE OR WIN.  A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

Promotion Period: The Sweepstakes begins July 2, 2012 at 9:00 am Eastern Time ("ET") and ends July 27, 2012 at 11:59:59 pm ET (the "Promotion Period").

How to Enter:  During the Promotion Period tweets will be sent out from the @DVM360 twitter handle. Respond to any of the tweets during the Promotion Period and include hashtag #VetVariety in your retweet or response to receive an entry into the Sweepstakes. Tweet must include the hashtag #VetVariety to be eligible for entry into the Sweepstakes. There is no cost to register for a Twitter account. 

Limit one entry per person and per Twitter handle per day. If Sponsor determines that someone is using multiple Twitter accounts to enter, that person will be declared ineligible.  Sponsor will not verify receipt of entries.  Automated methods of entry are prohibited, and any use of such automated devices or programs will cause disqualification.  Sponsor and its agencies are not responsible for transmission errors, or problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic. Each entrant irrevocably grants Sponsor and its affiliates, legal representatives, assigns, agents and licensees, the unconditional and perpetual right and permission to reproduce, encode, store, copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, publicly perform, adapt, exhibit and/or otherwise use or reuse (without limitation as to when or to the number of times used),  the entrant's tweet, in any and all media without limitation as to time or territory, and without additional compensation or approval from the entrant or any other party.  Entrant waives intellectual property rights, privacy/publicity rights or other legal or moral rights that might preclude the Sponsor's use of any element of the tweet, and agrees not to sue or assert any claim against the Sponsor for the use of any element of the tweet or entrant's Twitter handle or name.

Eligibility: Sweepstakes open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age or older at time of entry (19 years of age in AL and NE).  The following individuals are not eligible: employees, contractors, directors and officers of Nestlé Purina PetCare Company ("Sponsor"), its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies, and the web design, advertising, fulfillment, judging and promotion agencies involved in the administration, development, fulfillment and execution of this Sweepstakes (collectively, "Sweepstakes Parties"), and the immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and spouse or "step" of each) of, and those living in the same households, as each such individual.  Subject to all federal, state and local laws. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Prizes: Three (3) grand prizes: Each grand prize consists of winner’s choice of one (1) of the following prize options: 1) an Apple® iPad®;  2) a $500 donation to an approved Purina Animal Welfare Organization; or 3)  a $500 credit to a distributor in the name of winner’s veterinary institution.  Distributor must be  one of the following: Butler Schein Animal Health, MWI Veterinary Supply, Webster Veterinary, Miller Veterinary Supply, or Midwest Veterinary Supply. The Approximate Retail Value of each prize option is: $500. Total Approximate Retail value of all available prizes is: $1,500.

No cash substitutions for prizes and prizes are non-refundable and non-transferable except at sole discretion of Sponsor.  Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize of equal or greater value if the prize becomes unavailable for any reason.  Apple and iPad are trademarks of Apple, Inc.  Apple, Inc. is not a sponsor of or affiliated with this Sweepstakes.

Winner Selection and Notification: On or about August 3, 2012 a random drawing will be conducted from among all eligible entries received during the Promotion Period, by Promotion Fulfillment Center, an independent agency, whose decisions are final in all respects. Winners will be notified by a direct Tweet on or about August 3, 2012, and must respond within 48 hours of notification or the prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to an alternate winner.  Potential winners may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release (the “Affidavit/Release”).  If a potential winner fails to sign and return the Affidavit/Release within the required time period, an alternate entrant may be selected.

Release Of Liability & Publicity: By entering, entrants consent to Sponsor’s, and/or its designees’ use of their name,  likenesses, Twitter icon and handle and limited biographical information for publicity or advertising purposes without further compensation, where permitted by law.  All entrants release Sponsor, Twitter, and each of its parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, employees, and all others associated with the development and execution of this Sweepstakes, from any and all liability with respect to, or in any way arising from, this Sweepstakes and/or acceptance or use of the prize, including liability for personal injury, damages, death or monetary loss. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any injury, loss or damage to entrants’ or to any other person’s computer or mobile device relating to, or resulting from, entering or downloading any information or software in connection with this Sweepstakes. Sponsor and its agents are not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Sweepstakes, or by any human or other errors that may occur in connection with this Sweepstakes.

Entrants agree to indemnify and hold Sponsor, its agencies and Sweepstakes Parties and their respective affiliates, officers, directors, agents, co-branders or other partners, and any of their employees (collectively, the "Indemnitees"), harmless from any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs (including reasonable attorneys' fees) and liabilities (including settlements), brought or asserted by any third party against any of the Indemnitees due to or arising out of the use of  entrant's Entry, or the entrant's conduct in  connection with this Sweepstakes, including but not limited to claims for  violation of an individual’s right of publicity or right of privacy, or defamation.  Entrants further agree to release Sponsor from any and all claims that any advertising subsequently produced, presented, and/or prepared by or on behalf of Sponsor infringes entrant's rights.

Other Conditions: Sponsor is not responsible for any change of email, Twitter account, mailing address and/or telephone number of entrants.  Sponsor assumes no responsibility for computer system, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions or other errors, failures of any kinds, delayed transmissions or network connections that are human or technical in nature.  Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel or suspend this Sweepstakes, in its entirety or in part should virus, bug, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Sweepstakes. Sponsor is not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry information whether caused by Internet users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes by a technical or human errors, which may occur in the processing of the entries in the Sweepstakes.  Sponsor reserves the right to withdraw the transmission of this Sweepstakes at any time and award the Prizes from among eligible entries received and judged prior to the date of the withdrawal.  Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of the Rules.  CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE SWEEPSTAKES. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.  By entering, entrants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official  Sweepstakes Rules, participant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of State of Missouri, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules.  By entering, entrants consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in St. Louis, Missouri.  Please see the privacy policy located at www.purina.com for details regarding the use of personal information collected in connection with this Sweepstakes.

Winners List: Prize winners will be posted at http://www.dvm360.com/VetVariety after August 20, 2012.

Sponsor: Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, MO 63164. Twitter is not a sponsor of this Sweepstakes.

Administrator:  Promotion Fulfillment Center, 311 21st St., Camanche, IA 52730.