35 delightful images from the 2026 International Pet Photography Awards

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If you share a home with a pet , it’s likely you’ve filled your camera with photos of your furry (or feathered or scaly) friend. We humans love documenting the antics of our animal companions.

The International Pet Photography Awards celebrates our quest to capture the perfect snapshot of our beloved pets. The finalists for the 2026 competition come from more than 4,200 submissions from photographers in 48 countries. Finalists include leaping dogs , regal cats , and one extremely adorable calf.

“Plastic Prize Ahead” Daisy becomes pure unleashed velocity, a whippet arrow fired from joy, sliding into glory with unstoppable love and speed. Credit: © Copyright 2026 JODIE GRIEVE / 2026 International Pet Photography Awards Craig Turner-Bullock

The entries go across 12 different categories: Commissioned Portfolio, In-Camera Artistry, Phone and Studio, as well as the established Action, Canine Portrait, Creative, Documentary, Equine Portrait, Feline Portrait, Open Portrait and Pets and People categories. The winner will be announced on August 1.