Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2023 finalists will bring a smile to your face

“Barking” (USA). Chris Porsz/Comedy Pets View gallery – 14 images

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By Paul McClure
2023 Jul 13

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The Comedy Pet Photo Awards have announced their 25 funniest finalists for 2023, and they’re guaranteed to make you smile.

Created by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the Comedy Pets competition is all about celebrating the positive and important role our pets play in our lives, with the added benefit of raising awareness about animal welfare.

Whether it’s the canine version of Zorro, a cat channeling Albert Einstein, or a photo that proves that dogs really do look like their owners, this year’s shortlist contains some cracker images.

One that definitely gives us all the feels is “The Big Boss” by Kenichi Morinaga of Japan, who says that the cat, whose name is Big Boss, is gentle and kind despite his outward, grumpy appearance.

*“The Big Boss” (Japan). Kenichi Morinaga/Comedy Pets*
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In the below image, Runa looks particularly happy amongst the, umm, foliage, but the photographer, Corinne Mooser from Zürich, Switzerland, assures us it’s just regular hemp used for industrial purposes.

*“So This Is The Source of Happiness?” (Switzerland).* *Corinne Mooser/Comedy Pets*
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While cats and dogs dominate the competition, other animals also feature in the top 25. Like Boudicca, the two-and-a-half-month-old ferret snapped by owner Darya Zelentsova from Massachusetts, US, taking her first walk outdoors. Squee!

*“The First Outdoor Walk” (USA).* *Darya Zelentsova/Comedy Pets*
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The Comedy Pets founders are very pleased with the variety – and hilarity – of this year’s entries.

“A Life Changing Event” (Lebanon). Michel Zoghzoghi/Comedy Pets
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“Once again, we have been treated to some really funny entries in the competition, and such a wide range of animals this year from ferrets to tortoises to donkeys as well as hundreds of hilarious cats and dogs,” said co-founder Tom Sullam. “The job is now on to find the overall winner of Comedy Pets 2023 and, of course, the People’s Choice Award winner where everyone can get involved.”

“When Digging Gets Serious” (UK). Sophie Boynton/Comedy Pets
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For those who want to get in on the judging action and help nominate a winner for this year’s People’s Choice Award, you can do that here.

“Who Are You?” (Germany). Udo Krauss/Comedy Pets
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It’s now up to a panel of judges to scrutinize the shortlisted images and pick a winner, who’ll receive £500 (US$656/AU$953), a bespoke trophy and a camera bag from ThinkTank. The winner will be announced on the 11th of August, 2023.

“Victory” (Japan). Kazutoshi Ono/Comedy Pets
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While you’re waiting for this year’s winner to be announced, you can have a good giggle checking out our favorites among the finalists in our gallery.

Source: Comedy Pet Photography Awards View gallery – 14 images
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