A total of 30 finalists were announced in London on May 10, with the final winners due to be named on June 6.
Making the shortlist is a whole host of characters, from a Tarzan-like swinging cat and a husky buried up to the ears in snow to a sunbathing hamster, a kitten too curious for its own good, and a greedy tortoise demolishing a rose.
“There are so many excellent images of pets, they can be seen flying through the air, pulling funny faces, whispering secrets, getting stuck in walls and that is just the cats! Wait till you see the dogs and as for the tortoise and the headless horse..well!” states the Comedy Pet Photo Awards team on their website.
Professional photographers Tom Sullam and Paul Joynson-Hicks, MBE, founded this special photo competition after establishing the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards a few years ago.
Recalling their “light bulb moment,” Mr. Joynson-Hicks says the two friends came up with the idea of doing another humorous competition—this time for pets.
“We all love our pets, you see—particularly when they make us laugh (which mine do daily), and so this fledgling pet photo competition is a celebration of all those wonderful furry, feathery, scaly, and hoofed pals keeping us fit, sane, and in good company,” he wrote, sharing their story on the website.
The varied judging panel consists not only of expert photographers and a former competition winner but also a TV vet and animal welfare campaigner, a conservationist, and a comedian. The judges—including “Barry the Border Terrier, for balance”—say the competition organizers are now poring over the entries to determine the overall winners.
Judging this year’s “bumper crop” is proving tough. With some very endearing star subjects, the entries include the aforementioned animals along with a Kung Fu dog, a leaping horse captioned “I think I saw a mouse,” and canines looking remarkably like their owners.
The public also gets to vote for their favorite funny pet out of all 30 finalists in the People’s Choice Category, which closes on June 2. One lucky voter, “chosen at random,” will be awarded 100 pounds ($125) in cash.
Motivated by a wish to highlight the importance of valuing both wild and domestic animals, the competition founders want to “bang the drum” as loud as they can for animal welfare.
“[B]ehind the funny images and videos of the competition, there is a very serious and fundamental message to help, respect, and care for our animals in the most humane way possible,” they wrote.
“And every year as our competition gets a little bigger, the message is getting a little louder and we can help more animals.”
Anna Mason is a writer based in England. She majored in literature and specializes in human interest, travel, lifestyle and content marketing. Anna enjoys storytelling, adventures, the Balearic sunshine and the Yorkshire rain.
