Highly Commended: Christopher Johnson’s dog looked startled by a toy in “Revenge Of The Tennis Ball.”
“This is Star playing in the snow in a local field and getting surprised by a passing tennis ball,” Johnson wrote.
Highly Commended: The cat in Kenichi Morinaga’s photo appears to be saying, “Now, How Do I Upload My Pics?”
“I gotta smartphone, but I don’t know how to use it. Please someone tell me how to use it,” Morinaga captioned the photo.
Highly Commended: Jonathan Casey’s cat contemplates her next move in “Grandmistress Candy.”
“My tabby cat Candy is ranked East Anglia’s number one,” Casey wrote.
Highly Commended: Lucy Sellors-Duval caught a moment of sibling rivalry in “Mine, Not Yours!”
“Benji was determined to be the one to get all the yummy treats during his photoshoot, even if it meant stopping his older brother Doug,” Sellors-Duval wrote.
Highly Commended: Kazutoshi Ono’s cat displayed impressive grip strength in “Too Desperate.
“She is my lovely kitty that was rescued from my local cat care facility,” Ono wrote. “This is just a door that continues to a corridor. Sometimes she jumps up and holds the door — maybe she is desperate to go out.”
Highly Commended: Karl Goldhamer captured this mind-boggling optical illusion in “Werewolf 2.0.”
“Even a werewolf needs to relax sometimes,” Goldhamer wrote.
Highly Commended: Beth Noble titled this amusing shot of her cat “OMG What Is That?”
“CK shows his surprised face,” Noble wrote.
Highly Commended: Sarah Fiona Helme’s cat Rosie appeared to be saying “Purr-etty Pleeeaase!”
“Rosie was helping me in the greenhouse and decided to try, in her most engaging way (and with the help of the wheelbarrow to stand on) to persuade me into giving her some of her favorite treats — which, being a lowly cat servant with no willpower, I did!” Helme wrote.
Comedy Pet Team Favorite Award: A dog appeared to sit in the driver’s seat in “Chauffeur Dog” by Mehmet Aslan.
“The situation I encountered at a traffic light,” Aslan wrote.
People’s Choice Award: Marko Jovanovic captured his dog’s hilarious expression in “Dashing Through The Snow.”
“Carter was on a euthanasia list in California,” Jovanovic wrote. “We flew from Chicago to rescue him. This was his first time experiencing snow. As you can see, he could not believe was missing out all these years!”
Pets Who Look Like Their Owners Category Winner: “Dave and Dudley” by Judy Nussenblatt shows the close bond (and resemblance) the two share.
“This is my friend David and his dog Dudley,” Nussenblatt wrote. “During the early days of COVID, David and I took advantage of a beautiful day and we were out shooting pictures. Dudley was so excited when we got back that he threw his front paws around David’s shoulders and I snapped this picture. They both look like they could use a good haircut, but it was COVID, so who cares!”
Junior Category Winner: Freya Sharpe’s cat got caught in a compromising position in “Jack The Cat Stuck In The Hedge.”
“We had gone out for the day and came home to find our kitten Jack had got stuck in the hedge!” Sharpe wrote.
All Other Creatures Category Winner: “Smokin’ Alpaca” by Stefan Brusius shows an alpaca who appears to be on a smoke break.
“He looks like he is smoking a cigar,” Brusius wrote.
The Mighty Horse Category Winner: “Happy Horses” by Radim Filipek shows an enthusiastic mother horse.
“A happy mother and her 3-day-old son Monty,” Filipek wrote.
Our Best Friends — Dog Category Winner: In “Nilo’s Love For Water,” Jose Bayon captured his dog’s playful enthusiasm.
“Nilo is an adopted puppy, about 10 months old,” Bayon wrote. “He was hit by a car and was barely saved. Now recovered, he has just discovered water for the first time. His capers and pirouettes show his passion for water. Love at first sight.”
Overall and Cat Category Winner: In “Boom Boom,” Kenichi Morinaga photographed two cats butting heads.
“The cats bumped on the wall,” Morinaga wrote. “It was like a cartoon. A funny moment.”