Winners of the 2025 NCJ Pet Photo Contest

If aliens come to Earth to decide whether they’re going to vaporize the planet, our best move as a species is to show them our pet photos.

For here, preserved in the snapshots of snouts and tails, is the best of us. Our pets are both the vessels into which we pour our unconditional love and the proof that we deserve it in return. OK, possibly not from cats but definitely from dogs. That we care for our pets, investing emotionally (and economically — be serious, sometimes you need to sit down to open those vet bills) in shorter-lived creatures that we’ll one day have to part with, is a testament to our capacity to devote ourselves selflessly to another creature and a bond beyond language.

There’s nothing but love in the entries for this year’s North Coast Journal Pet Photo Contest. Well, and mischief, looking at Rowdy over there. Their sly looks, bared bellies and sleepy cuddles were just what we needed. We hope they warm your heart, too, as you flip through the crowd favorites. Thanks to all the readers who voted — we know it wasn’t easy.

And, of course, thanks to all the beastie besties — from George to Puffin to Sir Finnegan Plushbottom — for making us “aww” and “squee,” and for adding much-needed love to our lives.

— Jennifer Fumiko Cahill

See all the photos here at petphotos.northcoastjournal.com