Check out the cute comedy pet photo award winners

Pets, animals and wildlife are a great subject for photography, as it encompasses a range of skills – as well as being rewarding, worthwhile and sometimes, just a whole lot of fun.

The Comedy Pet Photo Awards has revealed the winners of this year’s competition, with the top prize going to Sarah Haskell for a charming and cute image called Not just for Cats. It shows Sarah’s dog, Hector, doing his best impression of a cat and trying to squeeze through a cat flap.

The annual photo competition, now in its fifth consecutive year, calls on all pet and animal lovers to submit hilarious images and videos of their funny furry friends for a chance of winning the title of Comedy Pet Photographer of the Year.

Pet shop joys

As winner of the top prize, Sarah receives a cash prize of £500, a camera bag from ThinkTank and a bespoke trophy. When asked what she would do with the proze money, Sarah joked: ‘A bigger catflap and then some camera equipment!’

The awards were created by Paul Joynson Hicks and Tom Sullam to highlight the positive and vital role that pets have in our lives and to encourage engagement around animal welfare, which can be presented as a very serious and sometimes depressing subject.

Enjoy the winners’ gallery below – interestingly, four of the top entries came from Japan, so it’s good to see this very worthy and fun competition now has a global reach!