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Countless pet owners claim that their dog or cat is the funniest animal on the planet. And those assertions might actually not be too far from the truth, as evidenced by the 2023 finalists of theComedy Pet Photography Awards. From a poodle flying through the air to a kitty sticking its tongue out to the camera, house pet hijinks have reached a whole new level.
The winners of the contest will be announced August 11.
A life changing event
(Image credit: Michel-Zoghzoghi/Comedy Pets)
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.
In March 2019 I sat in the dog run in Union Square in New York City when I spotted a lady with a pink bag on her hand (to keep her hand clean) throwing a ball to her dog, which sat facing her. The dog then launched itself and flipped in midair 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 New York media to find the owner so that I can send her a copy. No [luck], so I'm hoping this Pet Comedy competition can help me find the mystery woman and her leaping dog. You never know!
The big boss
(Image credit: Kenichi-Morinaga/Comedy Pets)
Big Boss is the boss around here. He is gentle and [his] kindness just [as] big.
Kylian's sleep
(Image credit: Katia Pillonel/Comedy Pets)
Kylian could not sleep in another bed. Maybe he dreamt of [the] jungle....
When digging gets serious
(Image credit: Sophie Boynton/Comedy Pets)
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!
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Victory
(Image credit: Kazutoshi Ono/Comedy Pets)
Perfect landing pose, right?
The three greys
(Image credit: Klaus-Peter Selzer)
Karin and her two dogs. Don't they all look almost the same?
Albert Einstein
(Image credit: Masayoshi Yamamoto/Comedy Pets)
He [stuck] out his tongue at me [just like the] famous Einstein photo.
The 498th round of hide and seek
(Image credit: Kim Horstmanshof/Comedy Pets)
Misty the spaniel desperately wanted to play with Nala, the dignified older lady of the menagerie. She wasn't that keen; fortunately Misty was pretty terrible at hide and seek.
Football free kick
(Image credit: Kenichi Morinaga/Comedy Pets)
The pressure of football and waiting for the free kick.
So, this is the source of happiness
(Image credit: Corinna Mooser/Comedy Pets)
That explains so much. (Don't worry, it's just regular hemp for industry.)
The first outdoor walk
(Image credit: Darya Zelentsova/Comedy Pets)
Tiny happy ferret Boudicca (only 2.5 months old) enjoys her first outdoor walk.
Oscar
(Image credit: Lana Polyakova/Comedy Pets)
Yes, his name is Oscar. He is an Afghan greyhound and is very pleased with himself.
Bidule as goalkeeper
(Image credit: Felix Larcher/Comedy Pets)
We were playing with our cat named Bidule, with a [ball of paper].
Keep your eye on the ball
(Image credit: Gill Woodcock)
Trying in vain to catch the ball.
Pop up
(Image credit: Kazutoshi Ono/Comedy Pets)
He seems to pop out of the autumn leaves, doesn't he?
Ball play silhouette
(Image credit: Christine Johnson/Comedy Pets)
Bobby reaching for the ball against a beautiful sunset. We were taking photos of Bobby as the sun was quickly setting and disappearing behind the hill. I was changing the setting on my camera, to keep the detail on a black dog against a nice sky and soon realized to just go with the simple option and shoot him as a silhouette.
Zorro reborn
(Image credit: Karl Goldhamer/Comedy Pets)
The avenger of the poor is back, but this time as a dog and not on a horse, but in a car! The obligatory black mask is a must, of course.
A lovely couple
(Image credit: Lana Polyakova)
I couldn't get past this couple!
Little Daisy and her big future
(Image credit: Darya Zelentsova/Comedy Pets)
Two sisters from different litters: self-confident Crystal and cute baby Daisy.
Is it a seal or a dog?
(Image credit: Monyque Macedo Dos Santos/Comedy Pets)
There's a hiding place under the sofa where Louis likes to hide. That day I took his tennis ball from "his place," he got angry and put his head out through the hole barking asking for his ball back. That's when he turned into this angry seal, and I decided to register the moment.
Edgar's dandelion
(Image credit: Jonathan Casey)
Beautiful Edgar's favorite foods are the leaves and dandelions. Here she's seen taking her time to savor the flavor.
Who are you?
(Image credit: Udo Krauss/Comedy Pets)
Our cat Lilly played with a mouse. We saved the mouse, and our dog Amy was fascinated by it.
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.
Flying poodle
(Image credit: John Young/Comedy Pets)
This is Barney, our toy poodle, caught mid-flight while running.
Jennifer Nalewicki is former Live Science staff writer and Salt Lake City-based journalist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and more. She covers several science topics from planet Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture. Prior to freelancing, Jennifer held an Editor role at Time Inc. Jennifer has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin.
