When the winners of the Dog Photographer of the Year contest are announced, we always wait in anticipation to see the spectacular selection of photos of dogs from all over the world and all walks of life. This year’s entries are no different and the Kennel Club in the UK says they received more entries than ever – almost 7000 from over 70 countries.
We enjoyed the photos from the 2018 and 2017 winners but there are some in this year’s winners that are simply stunning.
Take the overall winner and the winner in the “Oldies” category. Merlin the rescue Podengo dog is 14-years-old and deaf. But sitting among the magnolias it’s hard to imagine such a beautiful dog was once unwanted and unloved!
1st Place Oldies/ Overall Winner © Denise Czichocki
Overall Winner
Denise Czichocki from Switzerland took the photo and said of her win, “I am really proud and overwhelmed, I still can’t believe it!” She says that her passion for dog photography started when she had her first dog. “I wanted to create lovely memories of all of them. Over the years I have developed my photography to become more emotional.”
Scroll below to see all the award-winning photographs!
Dogs At Play Category
Monica van der Maden from the Netherlands won the ‘Dogs at Play’ category with a mischievous photo of Waylon the Australian Shepherd.
1st Place Dogs at Play. © Monica van der Maden
2nd Place Dogs at Play © Zoltan Kecskes
3rd Place Dogs at Play © Angela Blewaska
Dogs at Work Category
Dorine Scherpel from Canada, who won the ‘Dogs at Work’ category with her photo which was captured in The Lake District.
1st Place Dogs at Work © Dorine Scherpel
2nd Place Dogs at Work © Katie Behan
3rd Place Dogs at Work © Nadezhda Ivanova
I Love Dogs Because…Category
Mariah Mobley from the United States who won the ‘I Love Dogs Because…’ category.
1st place I Love Dogs Because © Mariah Mobley
2nd place I Love Dogs Because © Luca Gombo
3rd place I Love Dogs Because © Flora Wilson
Judges Special Mention © Robyn Holysh
Assistance Dogs Category
The winner of the ‘Assistance Dogs’ category was Angelika Elendt from Germany for her portrayal of the important role dogs play in helping people with mental, emotional and/or physical disabilities.
1st Place Assistance Dogs © Angelika Elendt
2nd Place Assistance Dogs © Tracy Allard
3rd Place Assistance Dogs © Melissa Bastin
Judges Special Mention Assistance Dogs © Cat Topham
Judges Special Mention Assistance Dogs © Luciana Veras
Man’s Best Friend Category
Cat Race from the UK who won the ‘Man’s Best Friend’ category.
1st Place Man’s Best Friend © Cat Race
2nd Place Man’s Best Friend © Alexandra Novitskaya
3rd Place Man’s Best Friend © Michele Mccue
Judges Special Mention Man’s Best Friend © Carin Harris
Oldies Category
1st Place Oldies/ Overall Winner © Denise Czichocki
Overall Winner
2nd Place Oldies © Cat Race
3rd place Oldies © Susan Lang
Judges Special Mention Oldies © Monica van der Maden
Portrait Category
Anastasia Vetkovskaya from Russia, won the ‘Portrait’ category with a stunning Saluki.
1st Place Portrait © Anastasia Vetkovskaya
2nd Place Portrait © Ria Putzker
3rd Place Portrait © Sheena Staples
Puppies Category
Monica van der Maden from the Netherlands (last year’s winner), won the ‘Puppy’ category with a heart-warming image of two Weimeraner puppies.
1st Place Puppies © Monica van der Maden
2nd Place Puppies © Carlos Aliperti
3rd Place Puppies © Lotte van Alderen
Young Pup Photographer Category
‘Young Pup Photographer’ winner, 11-year-old Sabine Wolpert from the United States
1st Place Young Pup Photographer © Sabine Wolpert
2nd Place Young Pup Photographer © Eilidh Shannon
3rd Place Young Pup Photographer © Eve Garner
Rescue Dogs Category
Anne Geier from Austria was named the winner of the ‘Rescue Dog’ award and her photo captured the close bond between her and her rescue mixed breed Finn.
1st Place Rescue Dogs © Anne Geier
2nd Place Rescue Dogs © Tiahang Zhang
3rd Place Rescue Dogs © Luciana Veras
Judges Special Mention Rescue Dogs ©Louise Farrell
Judges Special Mention Rescue Dogs © Rodrigo Capuski
To find out more about the Dog Photographer of the Year contest visit the Kennel Club’s dedicated website and Instagram.
The Kennel Club is the largest organization in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. Its objective is to ensure that dogs live healthy, happy lives with responsible owners. More information on the Kennel Club can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
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