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15 of the funniest entries in the 2024 Comedy Pet Photography Awards contest

Which one is your favorite?

via COmedy Pet Photography Awards

Two funny entries in the Comedy Pet Photography Awards.

It's that time of the year again when Upworthy shares our favorite snaps from the Comedy Pet Photography Awards . We've handpicked 15 of the top 30 nominees in this year's competition to share, which include a headless horse, an angry Yorkie and a hungry tortoise.

The Comedy Pet Photography Awards were started by Paul Joynson Hicks and Tom Sullam, who are both professional photographers. They created this fun competition to highlight pets' vital role in our lives and to promote animal welfare.

While the contest is all about funny photos, it carries a meaningful message. “Through the Comedy Pets, we want to promote positive awareness of animal welfare issues and celebrate the incredible and valuable contribution that pets can and do have on our lives," the founders say on the competition's website.

Go to the Comedy Pet Photographic Awards' website to see all 30 of the competition's photos and vote on the People's Choice Category through June 2, 2024.

Here are Upworthy's 15 favorite photos from the competition.

1. "Dancing Queen" by Vera Faupel (Germany)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Vera Faupel /Comedy Pets


"What can I say, this dog (Pepper the Pointer) loves to jump!" — Vera Faupel

2. "Cat in a Trap" by Kenichi Morinaga (Japan)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Kenichi Morinaga / Comedy Pets

​"Cat in a trap it looks like the video game Super Mario World." — Kenichi Morinaga

3. "Hard Workers" by Atsuki Ohshima (Japan)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Atsuki Ohshima / Comedy Pets

"They give their all in every situation." — Atsuki Ohshima

4. "Not Just for Cats" by Sarah Haskell (England)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Sarah Haskell / Comedy Pets

"Hector saw the cat do it...so thought he would give it a try ....and this is about as far as he got before reversing out the way he came. But the cat made it look so easy." — Sarah Haskell

5. "What am I Thinking?" by David Kertzman (Brazil)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© David Kertzman / Comedy Pets

"A little shake of the head and... where is everyone? I was lucky enough to click at the exact moment the head disappeared." — David Kertzman

6. "Grumpy Dog" by Luiza Ribiero (Brazil)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Luiza Ribiero / Comedy Pets

"Meet Nick Barry, a 5-year-old Yorkie with a special talent for hilarious expressions. This may not be his most flattering photo, but that frown is undeniably captivating — a true portrait of a dog who doesn't need smiles to win our hearts." — Luiza Ribieo

7. "Who Are You?" by Sylvia Jiang (England)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Sylvia Jiang / Comedy Pets

"Loki and a lion." — Sylvia Jiang

8. "Peekaboo" by Bernard Sim (Singapore)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Bernard Sim / Comedy Pets


"Look, ma, no eyes!" — Bernard Sim

9. "New Rose" by Jonathan Casey (United Kingdom)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Jonathan Casey / Comedy Pets

"Edgar loves to eat flowers, and her favorites are dandelions for spring, snapdragons for summer and here she can be seen gobbling a whole Gertrude Jekyll rose last September. We grow them for her and as she is elderly we handfeed her, sometimes snapping her in between bites as you can see." — Jonathan Casey

10. I Believe I Can Fly" by Julie Smith (Ireland)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Julie Smith / Comedy Pets

"Flying poodle." — Julie Smith

11. "I Think I Saw A Mouse" by Debby Thomas (USA)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Debby Thomas / Comedy Pets

"This beautiful and athletic gelding loves to try to fly off the ground! This is one of the series of leaps he performs." — Debby Thomas

12. "It's Cold" by Tammo Zelle (Germany)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Tammo Zelle / Comedy Pets

"Our dog had a lot of fun in the snow, but unfortunately ice crystals always stick to his paws." — Tammo Zelle

13. "Sun Lover" by Alina Vogel (Germany)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Alina Vogel / Comedy Pets

"This is Freddie, he was my first Hamster and probably the most photogenic ever. Freddie died recently and that's the last honor I want to pay my little friend." — Alina Vogel

14. "It's Time to Get Up" by Lock Liu (China)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Lock Liu / Comedy Pets

"Every morning, my dog wakes me up by lying on my chest until I open my eyes." — Lock Liu

15. "The Proud Pup and His Best Friend" by Darya Zelentsova (USA)

comedy pet awards, funny pet photos, photography awards

© Darya Zelentsova / Comedy Pets

"Ludo von Lickenface, the sweetest 16-year-old rescue pup, strikes a pose alongside his beloved guardian, David." — Darya Zelentsova

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Joy

Woman adopts a blind senior dog and spoils him for 28 days before putting him to sleep

“I fell so in love. He is just one of the most beautiful dogs I've ever seen, inside and out.”

via Helena Lopes/Pexels

Representative image of a senior dog.


A TikTok video by Kate Schakols has been seen over 100 million times because it is a touching example of empathy and human kindness. It also shows that a dog who’s lived a life of hardship can find joy and peace when given a loving home.

Schakols and her family fell in love with Rooster, a dog that was estimated to be between 10 to 12 years old, at the Gulf Coast STARS rescue in 2020 and adopted him. Rooster was blind in one eye, had benign lumps and most of his elbow pads and teeth were worn down from digging in concrete for food.

"The bond I had with Rooster was unreal," she told People. "I'd never felt that specific type of connection before, and it was obvious to everyone that he had chosen me to be his person."

Sadly, after 28 days, Rooster developed dog bloat and had to be humanely euthanized. Even though their time together was far too short, Schakols was happy to have comforted Rooster in his final days. She told their brief but touching story in a slideshow video from Rooster’s perspective.

TikTok · Millie_Archie

TikTok · Millie_Archie

www.tiktok.com

By telling the story from Rooster’s point of view, Schakols shows the incredible empathy and understanding she shared with the dog. It also gives people who may not be considering adopting a senior dog, an idea of what it means for an older dog to live in comfort in their final days.

"There’s so many stories of dogs being adopted but passing soon after and I think they finally felt peace and comfort and safe to let themselves go," BekahjO2 wrote in the comments. "It’s like he held on until he could feel love and joy. When he did he was finally at peace and able to cross the rainbow bridge," Mickey added.

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Joy

Officer holds back tears hearing his K-9 partner's retirement announcement over the radio

Indy has been Sergeant Sullivan's partner in crime-fighting for the past 9 years.

@bgsully/TikTok (used with permission)

Indy has served his community faithfully.

It's remarkable that canines have co-evolved with humans to the point where dogs not only serve as our beloved pets but also, sometimes, as our professional companions.

Dogs can be trained to guard, protect and sniff out everything from drugs to bombs to specific suspects. Many police departments have a K-9 unit for this purpose, using specially trained dogs— most often shepherds and retrievers , but other breeds as well—to aid in police work.

One of those dogs, a German shepherd named Indy, has spent the past nine years working alongside his handler, Sergeant Barry Sullivan, in Trophy Club, Texas. Indy retired on March 26, 2024, and a video of Sullivan's reaction to his official end of service announcement has brought millions to tears.

It's natural—necessary, even—for a handler to bond with a K-9 partner, and Sullivan and Indy have made a strong team.

"He has been the most amazing partner and I was blessed to have him with me," Sullivan tells Upworthy. "Always had my back and there was always a strong sense of comfort knowing he was there."

Hearing Indy's long list of accomplishments during his K-9 tenure is impressive. Not only has he assisted in drug busts and apprehensions, but he's also served as an ambassador to the community. It's clear from the dispatcher's voice and Sullivan holding back tears that Indy is a beloved member of his local community, both within law enforcement and without.

Watch the emotional announcement on Sullivan's TikTok page :

@bgsully

After 9 amazing years with this handsome fella, he gets to enjoy retirement at home with me and my family! Thank you all for your love and support! # k9 #k9unit #policek9 #policek9unit #k9handler #policek9handler #k9softiktok #gsdoftiktok #k9retirement #k9retiredlife

Indy has become part of Sullivan's family and will continue to live with them in his retirement. But going to work every day just won't be the same for Sullivan.

"Indy has been my steadfast partner, a member of my family, and the heart of many of our community initiatives," Sullivan shared before the retirement. "Every day with him has been an adventure, from his very first patrol to his spirited kitchen escapades."

However, Sullivan knows it's time for Indy to enjoy his leisure time after a long-for-a-dog career helping humans.

"I'm not just losing a colleague; I'm gaining more time with a friend whose bravery and companionship have been constant," said Sullivan. "Indy is more than ready for his retirement, and I am honored to ensure that his golden years are as rewarding as his service years have been for us all."

People were moved by Sullivan's tender reaction and impressed to hear Indy's stellar record of service, which includes the apprehension of numerous suspects and the seizure of over 4 tons of narcotics.

"This pup did more in his life than most people," wrote one commenter, to which Sullivan replied, "You're not wrong."

"May he get to nap on the softest couch, eating the best treats and lots of belly rubs in his retirement!" wrote another.

"I couldn't be that dispatcher I'm over here bawling my eyes out," wrote another.

"This is crazy.....why am I crying at this? the dog didn't die its just retiring from a long dedicated service, so what is it that's breaking me so hard!?" shared another.

"I'm crying here in the UK," shared another. "Thank you K9 Indy for your service. Hope you enjoy a rest now."

We all love a good doggo, and Indy is clearly one of the good ones. You can follow Indy's story on Sergeant Sullivan's TikTok page .

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Pets

Dog mom's pre-grooming pep talk to her 3 Shih-Tzus is pure comedy gold

This feels straight out of "Ted Lasso."

Representative Image from Canva

There's no way they didn't understand what she was saying.

Okay, so maybe dogs don’t understand everything we tell them exactly as a human would. But is that gonna stop us from having full blown conversations with them? Of course not. And the times they do seem to comprehend what’s being communicated—pure comedy.

Take this dog mom’s hilarious pre- grooming pep talk with Shih-Tzus Branston, Pickle and Gizmo . She minced no words telling them exactly how this trip was gonna go. And the message seemed to be received.

Branston (the troublemaker, apparently) got a firm warning of what not to do, including telling white lies about his upbringing.

“I don’t need you running in telling the first dog you see that this is what this is what your hair used to look like when you lived in the Bronx running up and down the block, cause I know for a fact, Branston, that you live in a rural village,” she tells him.

Viewers, however, seemed on board with Branston’s Bronx-affiliation, even if it was a little white lie. One person joked, “don’t be mad at the treats that I got, I’m still Branny from the block.”

In the video, Branston is also instructed to not tell everyone that he “identifies as a BUll Mastiff,” which gets the most adorable look of disappointment for wee little Branston.

As for Gizmo and Pickle—mom’s best advice is to pretend like they don’t know Branston.

Perhaps the best part is mom’s British accent, which makes the entire clip feel like something pulled straight outta “Ted Lasso.” That, or the complete shock the Shih-tzu trio has at being informed of their weight class.

Watch:

@branstonandpickle01 Your NOT from the Bronx and you never ran up and down the block!! #dogsoftiktok   #peptalktoyourdog   #branstonwehavearrived   #shihtzusoftiktok   #peptalkbranston   #funnydogvideos   #funnyvideos   #nyc   #bronx   #funny   #dogs   #dogtok   ♬ original sound - Branston,Pickle&Gizmo

Perhaps Branston, Pickle, and Gizmo’s mom isn’t totally off-base by giving them a talking to. According to the website allshihtzu.com , this breed had a “unique intelligence,” which gets best demonstrated by their attuned, empathic connection to their human families. Meaning that while they might not have the same kind of smarts as border collies or other herding dogs, their super power is picking up social cues.

And, again, even if they had no earthly idea what their mom was saying, odds are she’d still be talking to them anyway. Why? Because pets are our babies. And baby talk is fun.jk

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