The Winners Of The Mars Petcare Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2020 Are In, And They Might Crack You Up (40 Pics)

Overall winner Elke explained that 10 years ago Noodles and her other dog Scout alerted her to the fact that her husband was unconscious in the bath. “The diagnosis was a severe brain hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm. If it hadn't been for the dogs, I would have found him too late. Thanks to them and great doctors he survived, but during the stressful months that followed, I found photography as a creative outlet,” she shared.

With 3k pounds up for grabs, there was a lot of interest in the competition. And it really was a win-win kind of situation for everyone: all of us get a good laugh looking at the photos, the photographers get the attention that they deserve, and the limelight’s shining full force on how to best help pets in need.

Some of the other winners include Malgorzata Russell who won the Cat Category award, Magdalena Strakova who was the winner of the Mighty Horse Category, and Anne Linder who got the award for All Other Creatures. Meanwhile, Hannah Seeger won the Pets Who Look Like Their Owners award while Ayden Brooks became the winner of the Junior Category. There were also 10 photographers who were Highly Commended for their entries.

So many winners! And if you’ve got an itch to share your own funny photos of your pets, then you’ll have the chance in Spring of 2021! Next year’s competition starts (very fittingly) on April 1st, so don’t miss it—we know we won’t!

The photography competition was created by the founders of the world-famous Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam. They're donating 10 percent of the sponsorship fee and 10 percent of all entry fees to national pet charity Blue Cross, to help with its work rehoming pets and providing veterinary treatment and care. Bored Panda got in touch with founder Tom, as well as with team member Michelle Wood. Tom revealed that this year the atmosphere leading up to the announcement of the winners was... peculiar.

“This year the atmosphere is very odd, as we are very much Zoom-driven in terms of our interactions! But we are always excited because we know the pictures can only bring a smile to people's faces, so there is no pressure on that front,” Tom said.

“Sadly, there will be disappointment from individual photographers, but each and every image that makes the finalists is worthy and we are always keen to get that message across. General excitement, some over-excitement, and a whole lot of smiling (if we could all be in the same room at the same time!)” he shared, pointing out that being a finalist is a huge thing, even if your photo didn’t win.

Tom shared his hopes for next year’s competition as well, aiming for bigger and better awards. “The response this year has overwhelmed us, and the number of direct messages describing the general joy of seeing these images has really given us a boost for next year's competition. We want more pets entered, as much as we love our cats and dogs, we want to see all the pets that people have—their importance to our mental health is so crucial currently and we just want to keep supporting these wonderful animals through a happy and positive vibe!”

Meanwhile, Michelle told us that the team was incredibly excited in the hours leading up to the official announcement of the winners. “It’s been such a tonic to have this to look forward to, especially this year,” she said. Michelle also revealed that next year they’re hoping for some interactive pet events and exhibitions. “But fingers crossed the world gets to a more stable place first. The next competition kicks off on April Fools’ Day in the UK—the first of April, so we will probably need a good laugh by then.”

Tom told Bored Panda that he and Paul came up with the idea for the Comedy Pet Photo Awards after 4 years of successful Comedy Wildlife competitions. “It seemed like an obvious step to reach out to all those who do not necessarily have the equipment or time to do wildlife photography—but who have an active interest in photography, and animals,” he said.

“We wanted to continue the animal conservation message, but on this occasion focusing on pets and how we should look after and care for them. Many pets, such as exotic animals, are often kept in poor conditions and we wanted to address the poor treatment of these animals that give so much back to us.”

Tom explained that partnering up with Mars Petcare allows them to increase the competition’s reach and spread their message better. “We have also joined up with Blue Cross, a UK based pet charity that works to reduce pet suffering. The partnership will be raising much needed funds for sick, injured, abandoned and homeless pets across the country to assist with its work on rehoming pets and providing veterinary treatment and care.”

According to Tom, 2020 showed all of us just how vital having pets in our lives really is: they help us focus on the positives in life, even though they’re sometimes taken for granted.