Heartwarming Winners of World's Largest Pet Photography Contest

2024 International Pet Photographer of the Year

From adorable cats and dogs to majestic horses, the International Pet Photography Awards captures all types of animals that provide us joy as pets. In its sixth edition, the photo contest drew in 3,621 entries from 41 countries. For the first time, a special equine category honored photographers who specialize in this sub-genre of pet photography.

Dogs were the most photographed animals submitted—followed by horses and cats. But plenty of other pets, from ferrets and pigs to mice and parrots, were also immortalized by the competition's photographers. Dutch photographer Janneke De Graaf was named International Pet Photographer of the Year for her portfolio of images that capture her favorite subject—Basenji dogs.

As the proud owner of four Basenjis, De Graaf's pets have become her muses, which shines through in her extraordinary portraits that capture their personality. Another photographer who often photographs her own animals is Katie Brockman, who won the creative category with a fun image of her former foster kittens.

“They are brother and sister, and I wanted an image that showed both of their personalities—Ed was a spicy and cranky boy, while Cleo was super mischievous and loved harassing her siblings.” she shares. “This image is part of a series I've been working on with “painted” kittens, to show off cats' unique markings and personalities.”

Sabrina Einig won the inaugural equine category for her dynamic shot of Friso, a 7-year-old Friesian stallion. While Einig usually sticks to portraits, she took advantage of a moment to capture Friso in action and, in the process, was able to document his strong, gentle demeanor.

The entries, which were judged by an all-star panel of experts that includes My Modern Met Academy's Belinda Richards, offer a heartwarming look at the world of pet photography. Scroll down for a look at the winners and our favorite finalists, as well as a video slideshow of all 100 finalists.