If you've spent any time on the internet in the last two decades you'll know just how popular funny pics of people's pets can be. The Comedy Pet Photography Awards exists to showcase the very best of them, and the 2024 finalists are just in. These are our favourite shots from this year, plus the best of 2023 and 2022.

Click through this gallery to see the funniest pics of people's pets from the last three years...

We've heard of headless horsemen, but the headlessness doesn't usually extend to the horses themselves. This horse is just fooling the camera with a well-timed turn to the right... right?

Teamwork makes the dream work – if the dream is to senselessly destroy as many household items as you can lay your paws on. We hope these cats' owners didn't leave their knitwear drawer open.

We're not sure if this dog is attempting to force its way through a kitty door or modelling an avant-garde pair of sunglasses at the Met Gala. Either way, we think some poor decisions have been made.

We hope and assume that this tired tabby climbed into the serving bowl of its own accord. Either that or its owner is serving up some cat-a-la-carte.

Walkies? In the car? With no lead and the vet's address in the satnav? Do you take me for a fool?

We would not have wanted to attend high school with these gossipy kitties. The one on the right is definitely trying to make 'fetch' happen – but it's not going to happen.

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Dogs can achieve a level of unfettered joy far beyond the emotional capacity of humans, and this snow-white hound is putting on an absolute masterclass in high-level frolicking. Watch and learn.

The perspective of this photo makes it hard to know if this kitten has unwisely burrowed into a crack in the pavement or somehow managed to lodge itself in a wall. Either way, we commend its pioneering spirit and hope that help arrives soon.

This credulous canine seems to be rehearsing for the local panto. Imagine her confusion when the bubble pops before she locates it. She could be there for hours.

Just where did these two meerkats find such convincing cat costumes?

Who knew dogs could fly? This soaring pooch is diving for a ball in New York City's Union Square – much to the surprise of the bemused human folk sat on the bench.

Wildlife photographer Michel Zoghzoghi says he has "more fun taking photos of these two than during my most adventurous wildlife photography trips". The "lethally cute duo" are Alex, the "shy one" and Max, the "playful one". We can guess who's who in this fun feline snap.

The camera loves this charismatic Afghan hound named Oscar – the fabulously coiffed pooch is certainly ready for his close-up in this striking snap.

'Big boss' is an apt name for this stern-looking kitty, whose severe expression and hulking pose belie his gentle nature, according to photographer Kenichi Morinaga.

This might be the cutest shot of the lot. This wholesome pic captures teeny tiny ferret Boudicca on her first foray into the great outdoors at just two and a half months old.

You can see just how curious this pooch is about her mousey companion from her furrowed brow and wondering brown eyes. According to the photographer the mouse had just been saved from their pet cat.

You can almost see the joy on Edgar the tortoise's face as she savours her favourite snack – the bright yellow flower and leaves of a dandelion. 

Peek-a-boo! This playful pooch can't contain a goofy smile as she peers through thickets of industrial hemp.

The light falls just right in this whimsical shot, which makes a glossy black lab look like the famous masked vigilante. We hope he has his driver's licence too...

There's an explosion of colour in this cheerful autumn shot, which sees a cute cat 'pop up' from a pile of fall foliage. It looks almost as if the kitty is begging for something – or perhaps trying to catch a burning orange leaf between its little paws.

It's often said that pets and owners look alike – and this shot might just prove the point. Owner Karin and her two beautifully groomed dogs are captured from behind, and as the sun catches their glossy manes you can hardly tell who's who. 

There's something very human about this street shot, which captures a group of four concentrating moggies. The photographer jokes that the cats look like they're awaiting a free kick during a football game.

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We've heard of cats getting stuck in trees, but how this kitten managed to climb a hedge we'll never know. We hope the fire brigade arrived quickly.

This proud mother horse and embarrassed son reflect a classic family dynamic. 'Oh my God mum, can you stop?', his sideways glance seems to say.

This California-born rescue pooch named Carter had never seen snow before moving to Chicago. Emerging from a snowdrift like a smiling, crazy-eyed whack-a-mole, we think it's safe to say he's a fan.

"Ranked #1 in East Anglia", according to owner Jonathan, tabby cat Candy is locked in a tense battle of wits with her stuffed toy opponent in this atmospheric shot. Look very closely and you'll see that Candy is up by several pieces.

This is the face of a dog on whom the tables have been turned. Star was playing in a field near her home when the offending tennis ball bounced unexpectedly past her ear. Bad luck Star.

A shot that would fit as well in a horror movie as a cute animal YouTube compilation, we hope this photo is a charming optical illusion not an escapee from a mad scientist's lab. Either way, we're locking our doors tonight.

It is not uncommon for clever cats to work out that leaping for handles can help them open closed doors. This cat understands the theory, but is struggling a teensy bit with the execution.

The sort of photo your friend would ask you to delete from your phone after a night out, we're not sure if this open-mouthed moggy is excited, scared, surprised, or has just been cruelly captured by owner Beth Noble mid-yawn.

Don't be fooled by the puppy-dog eyes. At the first whiff of a treat Benji is smushing his brother Doug's face into the dirt and flashing the camera a look of well-practiced innocence. Monstrous behaviour, Benji.

An artsy portrait that would look great in black and white, there's something more-than-a-little Audrey Hepburn about this elegant alpaca nonchalantly puffing on a twig. We're not sure the Sixties icon would have been particularly pleased with the comparison.

Cat pics are big business on social media, and the first kitten to master selfie-taking would take the internet by storm. This house-cat-turned-influencer is coming soon to an Instagram feed near you.

It was a little unnerving for Mehmet Aslan to pull up to a set of traffic lights and see this upright mutt staring back at him from the neighbouring car, with the air of a cabbie about to complain about the traffic. Fortunately the driver is just about visible over the dog's right shoulder.

Adopted puppy Nilo is 10 months old, and is apparently ecstatic at experiencing a hosepipe for the first time. We'll take the photographer's word for it that Nilo is expressing positive emotions.

This tabby named Rosie is doing a creditable impression of Oliver Twist, plaintively pleading for treats while helping her owner with the gardening. We're quite certain she's already been very well-fed.

A lockdown-era photo, this hairy pairing had gone several months without access to professional grooming. We don't know whether dog or human is Dave or Dudley, and even if we did it might not help.

We've heard of monsters with two heads, but how about no heads? This piece of expertly rendered surrealism earned Kenichi Morinaga the overall contest crown in 2022, and hopefully did not result in a follow-up visit to the vet.

Learn more about the Comedy Pet Photography Awards here.

Now read on for more funny photos of the world's weird and wonderful wildlife