Back in March, we started planning our Inlander Cover Pet photo contest. In June, readers submitted a treasure trove of photos for our team of judges to delve into. (For hours. We sequestered ourselves in the conference room and called it “work.”)
In addition to hundreds of stunning photos provided by our readers of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, there were horses (miniature and large), lizards and birds, including some truly fanciful parrots and chickens. There was an adorable axolotl, even a praying mantis (a questionable pet, but a very cute photo). We questioned the decision to feature a moose photo. (For the information of the submitter: this is not a pet.)
After considerable debate and several rounds of judging, we chose the top five submissions in each of our 15 categories. And five exemplary photos were selected to advance to the Best in Show category.
Then, it was up to the voters to choose the winners, time for the big reveal!
— Anne McGregor, section editor