[imagesource: ©Lianne-Richards/Mars Petcare Comedy Pet Photography Awards]

If you removed all pet-related content from social media and the internet at large, it would be a far sadder and emptier place.

We can all admit to clicking on ‘the odd’ (fine, maybe more than ‘the odd’) cat or dog video, or stopping a little longer on a photo of an adorable pet while scrolling through Instagram.

Pet owners around the world lovingly share photos of their favourite furballs. If you have a friend with a cat or dog and ask to see a picture, prepare yourself for a good half an hour of working through the entire archive dating back to when it first appeared on the scene to earlier that morning.

The best ones, without a doubt, capture your fur child doing something silly.

For more than 2 000 people in 81 countries, the Mars Petcare Comedy Pet Photography Awards was the perfect opportunity to show off their pet, do something great for charity, and win some cash while they’re at it.

The finalists have been announced, one of which will be walking away with £3 000 and the title of 2020 Mars Petcare Comedy Pet Photographer of the Year.

Let’s check out the competition, per Huffington Post:

Image: ©MALGORZATA RUSSELL/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©IAIN-MCCONNELL/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©PETE VON SHNEN/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©KERSTIN-ORDELT/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©JOHN-CARELLI/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©IAIN-MCCONNELL/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©HETWIE-VAN-DER-PUTTEN/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©DANIEL-SZUMILAS/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©ALEX CLASS_/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©BORIS-PURMANN/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

Image: ©CANDICE-SEDIGHAN/MARS PETCARE COMEDY PET PHOTO AWARDS 2020

The competition aims to raise awareness for pets without a forever home in the UK. 10% of the sponsorship fee and 10% of all entry fees are donated to the animal welfare charity Blue Cross.

Founders Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam. along with wildlife television presenter and writer Kate Humble, will be judging the competition.

“It has been a tough year for many, but these images have not only made us laugh out loud, but also re-affirmed our desire to drastically reduce animal cruelty and pet orphanage”, said Mr Sullam.

“The positive movement created by this competition is so uplifting and hopefully we can achieve a similar reaction from all who see this competition!”

It certainly brightened my day.

[source:huffpost]