Good Dog Bar's new Atlantic City location will crown top dogs through inaugural photo contest

All dog owners likely believe their pups are the cutest of all, but a Jersey Shore establishment is putting that notion to the test.

Good Dog Bar Atlantic City, set to open next month, is hosting its inaugural dog photo contest through March 1. The contest, which the bar has hosted for years at its original Philadelphia location, asks pet lovers in the region to submit the best photos of their canine friends for chances to win prizes.

To enter the contest, owners must submit printed black-and-white, 5x7 photos of one dog, either via mail to Good Dog Bar AC (3426 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ, 08401) or drop-off at the bar. The back of the photo should include the owner's name, phone number and email as well as the dog's name, breed and age. Official contest rules can be found online.

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Good Dog Bar AC has already received tons of submissions, according to co-owner Heather Gleason. All of the pictures received will be arranged in a photo installation on the walls of the bar.

A panel of local community members will judge the contest, and winners will be announced at the restaurant's grand opening. The top three dogs will be rewarded with prominent placement in the installation, gift baskets of pet goodies and Good Dog Bar gift certificates for their humans. First place also secures a special permanent tile created by Atlantic City nonprofit MudGirls Studios.

Good Dog Bar, which recently celebrated its 19th birthday in Philly, is expanding down the shore for the first time with the upcoming Atlantic City establishment. 

The new two-story location will reflect its Jersey Shore home with a spacious floor plan, windows to let in sunlight, a large outdoor area and local art. Multiple murals decorate the outer walls, including a colorful beach scene by South Jersey artist Heather Hires. 

Hires' mural depicts several important dogs in the Good Dog Bar owners' lives: Bella the bulldog, a former photo contest winner who belonged to Gleason's father and inspired the contest and the bar's name; Dylan the chocolate lab, Gleason's first dog which influenced the dog theme of the bar; and Greta and Tito, the two hound-mix rescues that are currently part of Gleason's and co-owner Dave Garry's family.  

An official opening date for Good Dog Bar AC has not yet been set, but the owners are aiming to welcome customers in late March. As the opening nears, more information will become available on the establishment's website and Instagram.