Animal-loving kids are encouraged to capture photos of their favourite pets this summer, as vet charity PDSA launches its annual photo competition for young people.

Running with a ‘super pets’ theme, youngsters are asked to submit their photos to one of three age categories: under 10s, 10-13 or 14-16-year-olds.

From captivating cats to beautiful bunnies, PDSA wants to see the best snaps of pets showing off what makes them awesome!

The competition is free to enter – each child’s best photo should be emailed to petprotectors@pdsa.org.uk with ‘Pet Photo Competition 2016’ in the subject, along with their full name and date of birth in the email. The closing date is 9 September 2016. Kids who are already members of PDSA’s kids’ club – Pet Protectors – should also include their membership number to receive their points.

The winner of each age category will receive a print of their picture and a selfie stick. The overall winner across all categories will also receive a professional photoshoot with their pet, courtesy of Venture Studios, and a special VIP tour of one of PDSA’s Pet Hospitals.

Last year’s competition was won by thirteen-year-old Aiden van Rensburg, who said: “I was so excited to win PDSA’s photo competition! I loved all my prizes, especially my behind-the-scenes tour where I met the vets, nurses and pet patients. I’ll never forget the experience!”

Aiden has shared her top tips for snapping the best photos:

• Always have your camera nearby so you can catch your pet being funny or cute
• Practise taking shots from different angles
• Make sure the light is good
• Play with your pet in lots of different places
• Take loads of pictures so you can choose the best one

Vet and TV presenter Steve Leonard, who will be helping to judge the competition, said: “Just about everyone I meet who knows I’m a vet shows me photos of their pet!  I also have lots of snaps of my own cat, Bruce, getting up to all sorts of mischief. I can’t wait to see what PDSA’s young supporters send into the competition and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of laughs, smiles and ‘Ahhhhhs’ when we see their entries!”

PDSA Vet Rebecca Ashman added: “We’re looking forward to seeing lots of amazing pets. But remember not to dress your pets up, it may look funny to us but it can make them nervous and uncomfortable. Why not capture them showing off a skill or playing with their best friend instead?”

For more information, plus terms and conditions, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/photocomp.