A smoking llama, a chess-playing cat, a driving dog . . . there’s nothing like looking at silly pictures of cute, furry creatures to put a smile on your face and help you forget your problems. And the crop of finalists from this year’s Comedy Pet Photo Awards really take the (dog) biscuit. The annual awards were established to celebrate the positive and vital role that pets play in our lives.

“The adoration that people have for their pets and vice versa is a wonderful thing to see and be part of,” says competition co-founder Paul Joynson-Hicks.  The winner of the contest will be announced next month and will receive a £2 000 (R39 726) grand prize.

Stefan Brusius couldn’t resist snapping this shot of an alpaca with a twig in his mouth in Germany.

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