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Comedy Pet Photo Awards announce 2023 winners

Michel Zoghzoghi’s ‘A life changing experience’ is overall winner.

 

Overall Winner and Best Cat Category Winner: A life-changing experience (C) Michel Zoghzoghi/Comedy Pets

 
The Comedy Pet Photography Awards has announced that Michel Zoghzoghi has been awarded the title of Comedy Pet Photographer of the Year for his photograph ‘A life-changing experience’.

The competition, now in its fourth year, encourages entrants to send in funny images and videos for a chance to win in various categories. It was created by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam to highlight the vital role that pets have in people’s lives.

Michel Zoghzoghi’s entry, which features his rescue kittens Max and Alex, was also picked up in the Best Cat Category.

Mr Zoghzoghi, a professional wildlife photographer from Beirut, Lebanon, received a cash prize of £500, a camera bag and a trophy.

He said: “Max and Alex form a lethally cute duo. I had more fun and surprises taking photos of these two characters, than during my most adventurous wildlife photography trips.

“As a wildlife photographer I never really considered sending photos to a pet competition until I discovered Comedy Pets. It’s witty, it’s fun and the photos are hilarious.

“I am extremely happy and proud to have won it as all the finalists were really outstanding and some of them made me laugh to tears."


Best Dog Category Winner: Barking (C) Chris Porsz/Comedy Pet Awards

UK amateur street photographer Chris Porsz’s entry ‘Barking’ took first place in the Best Dog Category, as well as being selected for the People’s Choice Award.

He said: “It is a great privilege to have been awarded this prestigious accolade amongst so many other great pictures. Thank you to the judges and to all those who voted in the people’s choice.”

 

Best All Other Creatures Category Winner: A First Outdoor Walk (C) Darya Zelentsova/Comedy Pets

 

The winner in the All Other Creatures category was Darya Zelentsova, originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, whose ferret Boudicca is pictured in her entry ‘The First Outdoor Walk'.

She said: “I’m so happy to see my lovely Boudicca among the winners. Ferrets almost never win anything in major international photo contests, and I’m glad to promote them as amazing pets and models.”

Tom Sullam, co-founder of the Comedy Pet Photo Awards said: “This is still a very young competition in the whole scheme of things, but within a few short years we are already receiving some of the most uplifting, life-affirming hilarious images of pets in the world! We couldn’t be more excited to share these with you all. 

“Pets have played a fundamental role during the covid years, and to be able to laugh out loud with these loveable creatures is the reason this competition exists!"

The competition will be open for 2024 entries next year on their website.

Scroll down to view more of the competition winners:

Junior Category Winner: Is it a seal or dog (C) Monyque Macedo Dos Santos/Comedy Pets


Pets who look like Owners Category Winner: The three Greys (C) Klaus Peter Selzer/Comedy Pets


Highly Commended: Keep your eye on the ball (C) Gill Woodcock/Comedy Pets


Highly Commended: Football free kick (C) Kenichi Morinaga/Comedy Pets


Highly Commended: The big Boss (C) Kenichi Morinaga/Comedy Pets

 

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

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Bluetongue RZ extended across Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced an extension to a Bluetongue Restricted Zone that is in place in south-west Scotland.

From 3 October, the Restricted Zone will be extended to cover the whole of Scotland. The Animal, Plant and Health Agency (APHA) says this is in response to further disease spread, as well as simplify trading conditions ahead of the autumn.

Since the whole country will share a disease status, it will no longer be necessary to have a movement license to move susceptible livestock around the country. Restrictions on germinal products remain.

As of 1 October 2026, there were 1,979 cases of BTV-3 in England, 389 cases in Wales and 40 cases in Scotland.