[imagesource: Belinda Richards]

Much has been written about the ways that pets have helped their people through the lockdown, especially during that first month of extreme isolation.

The good boys and girls of the world worked overtime to keep us happy and comforted when things seemed at their worst.

Even when there isn’t a pandemic to deal with, pets bring us endless joy, and the only thing second to that joy is looking at cute and funny pictures of cats, dogs, or both, depending on your preference.

I’m a cat person myself, but I know many a dog enthusiast who will get a real kick out of the prizewinning ‘Be More Dog‘ project that uses dogs as stand-ins for people to humorously explore current events and social practices.

Here’s Forbes:

“Some images are comments on contemporary issues such as feminism, patriarchy and world politics, while others take a lighter look at social hierarchy and current trends,” explains the creator of the series, dog-loving Australian photographer Belinda Richards.

Richards has won multiple awards, including Creative Photo Of The Year 2020, Siena Awards, the 2019 AIPP Australian Animal Photographer of the Year, and the Nikon NZIPP International Photographer of the year.

Recent research has shown that simply looking at dogs, and pictures of dogs. can make a person immediately happy, and increase the flow of serotonin and dopamine to their brain, almost creating a drug-like euphoria.

So with that in mind, let’s get high:

Image: Belinda Richards
‘It’s A Catastrophe!’

Image: Belinda Richards

Image: Belinda Richards
‘The Queen’s Corgi’

Image: Belinda Richards
‘Have You Heard Of Dj Chester…?’

Image: Belinda Richards
‘Welcome to Harry’s Diner’

Image: Belinda Richards
‘Punk’s Not Dead’

Image: Belinda Richards
‘Working My Way Through Obedience School’

There’s even a kitty in the mix:

Image: Belinda Richards
‘Vote 1 Bagpuss’

Not exactly very subtle, but at least the, umm, ‘feline’ is grabbing back.

If you prefer your funny animals Photoshop-free, you’ll enjoy some of the winning shots from The 2019 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

High on puppies isn’t the worst way to be.

[source:forbes]