"We tried to get a dreamy autumn photo of Milo - instead of lying a bit on his side he rolled around like crazy. His family loves this shot because it shows his personality better than any other picture". Kerstin Leichtenmüller / Comedy PetsSHARE
It’s no secret that our furry (and sometimes not-so-furry) friends bring smiles to our faces. The Comedy Pet Photo Awards aims to celebrate just that. Submissions come from people all over the world to show off their pets doing goofy or extra cute things. The 25 finalists for this year’s contest have been announced, with images that are both silly and heartwarming. There are dogs launching themselves into the air, cats doing, well, cat things, and even a very hungry tortoise. You can check out some of our favorite finalist images below, but be sure to head to the site to see them all.
The founders of this pet photography contest also run the highly popular Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. They began the pet contest, in part, to “promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives.” The winners of the 2023 Comedy Pet Photo Awards will be announced on August 11th. Should you want to help choose a winner, there is a People’s Choice Category as well, and you can vote at the contest website.
2023 Comedy Pet Photo Awards finalists
A life changing event
“Alex is the shy one. Max is the playful one. Together they form a lethally cute duo. I had more fun taking photos of these two than during my most adventurous wildlife photography trips.” Michel Zoghzoghi / Comedy Pets
Barking
“In March 2019 I was sat in the Union Sq New York dog run when I spotted a lady with a pink bag on her hand (to keep her hand clean) throwing a ball to her dog which was sat down facing her. The dog then launched itself and flipped in mid air to face me and snap! As you can see the lady with her hand on her head was as surprised as me and I think she is saying phew! I have searched in vain via the NY media to find the owner so that I can send her a copy. No joy so I am hoping this Pet Comedy competition can help me find the mystery woman and her leaping dog. You never know!” Chris Porsz / Comedy Pets
The big boss
“Big Boss is the Boss around here. He is gentle and kindness just big.” Kenichi Morinaga / Comedy Pets
When digging gets serious
“Shadow was digging holes as normal at the beach, when all of a sudden he was showing off his new technique! Luckily the camera was at the ready for this crazy position!” Sophie Boynton / Comedy Pets
Victory
“Perfect landing pose, right?” Kazutoshi Ono / Comedy Pets
The three greys
“Karin and her two dogs. Don’t they all look almost the same? …” Klaus-Peter Selzer / Comedy Pets
Football free kick
“The pressure of football and waiting for free kick.” Kenichi Morinaga / Comedy Pets
The first outdoor walk
“Tiny happy ferret Boudicca (only 2.5 month old!) enjoys her first outdoor walk.” Darya Zelentsova / Comedy Pets
Oscar
“Yes, his name is Oscar. He is an Afghan greyhound and is very pleased with himself.” Lana Polyakova / Comedy Pets
Keep your eye on the ball
No caption was submitted. Gill Woodcock / Comedy Pets
Edgar’s dandelion
“Beautiful Edgar’s favourite food are the leaves and flowers of dandelions. Here she is seen taking her time to savour the flavour.” Jonathan Casey / Comedy Pets
Who are you?
“Our cat Lilly played with a mouse, we saved the mouse and our dog Amy was fascinated by the mouse” Udo Krauss / Comedy Pets
Abby Ferguson is the Associate Editor for Gear and Reviews at PopPhoto, joining the team in 2022. She has been involved with the photography industry in various capacities since her undergraduate training at the University of Kentucky, with work ranging from client photography to program development and management of the photo department at Evolve, a vacation rental company.
