Cherished pets of all breeds, shapes and sizes vied for attention to become Amazon’s next pet model

Front runner Crème Brulee pipped category winners Cookie the dog, Bailey the cat, Hedwig the rabbit, JoJo the bird, Lippy the fish and Bakana the Bearded Dragon to the podium

As part of the main prize-winning package, pet photographer and competition judge, Rachel Oates, visited Crème Brulee at home to capture the perfect pony’s posing prowess

London, 5th October 2018:  An adorable 17-year-old male Shetland pony from Surrey called Crème Brulee has today been crowned the 2018 Face of Amazon Pets, following a nationwide contest to find the official model for the Amazon.co.uk Pet Supplies Store. The contest resulted in proud animal owners from across the country entering thousands of photos of their beloved pets online using the hashtag #AmazonPets.

The five most liked, commented, and shared entries alongside five wildcard entries for each of the seven categories (dogs, cats, fish, birds, small animals, horses and reptiles) became the shortlist which the panel of judges then reviewed to select the seven category winners.

Made up of some of the UK’s most influential social media stars of the pet world a, the Face of Amazon Pets judging panel included:

• Current star of Strictly Come Dancing, Ashley Roberts, and owner of Cooper, her Maltese dog;
• Pet photographer and owner of Instagram star, Winny the Corgi , Rachel Oates;
• Former Face of Amazon Pets winner, Effie the Bunny, represented by her owner, Annie Swift; and
• Pet Supplies Director, Amazon.co.uk, James Bate.

Crème Brulee the Shetland pony, Cookie the dog, Bailey the cat, Hedwig the rabbit, JoJo the bird, Lippy the fish and Bakana the Bearded Dragon were selected as the winners of their individual categories. The judging panel then had the tough job of choosing the overall winner from these seven picture ‘purrfect’ pets to be crowned this year’s Face of Amazon Pets – ultimately selecting Crème Brulee the Shetland pony to trot off with the main prize.

"We are so proud of Crème Brulee - we knew he was special and destined for great things. His long blonde eyelashes and fluffy coat make him the ‘mane’ attraction on our farm, and he loves to dress up,” said Crème Brulee’s owner, Maddie Norris from Cobham, Surrey who keeps Crème Brulee at the nearby Shetland Pony Club. “He is going to love some of the ‘horse-play’ we’ll have with his new coat, hoof boots and some tasty pony treats we are planning to get with his Face of Amazon Pets winnings.”

“Crème Brulee was a delight to shoot. He was so at ease in front of the camera showing off some of his best moves and he posed like a pro,” said Rachel Oates, Face of Amazon Pets photographer and judge. “From what I have seen, Crème Brulee is far from a one trick pony and could well have a modelling career ahead of him.”

"Naturally I have a love of small furry creatures but when Effie and I saw Crème Brulee, we recognised that star quality straightaway,” said Annie Swift, fellow judge and owner of former winner, Effie the rabbit. “Effie and I could not be more pleased to be passing the Face of Amazon Pets title onto such a worthy winner.”

ADDITIONAL CATEGORY WINNERS OF THE 2018 FACE OF AMAZON PETS

 
• Cookie the dog – Cookie is a one-year old Toy Cockapoo from West Yorkshire who knows the importance of looking good and engaging with her fans. On her own Instagram account, she loves to perform tricks for her followers including skateboarding, footballing and counting. When taking a break from her social posting, Cookie enjoys helping her owners around the house, emptying the washing machine, opening doors and taking the bins out.
• Bailey the cat – is full of character and unlike most of his fellow feline friends - who are widely known to land on their feet – struggled to master landing on his paws in his first few months. Perhaps, Bailey had the foresight to see his pet model potential and now reaching his first birthday has not only mastered the skill but honed the technique to perfect his cat-walking prowess. He can often be seen strutting his stuff with the best of them in his hometown of Brentwood, Essex.
• Hedwig the rabbit – Hedwig the Mini Lop bunny is five years old and was adopted on Valentine’s Day three years ago after she fell in love with owner Kerry’s other rabbit, Motley. It’s no surprise with the Face of Amazon Pets judges also falling for Hedwig’s charm. Fiercely protective of her ‘husbunny’, Hedwig can now relax in the knowledge she is one top bunny and can be seen performing her high-five and spinning tricks with an extra ‘hop’ in her step.
• JoJo the bird – is a beautiful Yellow Crowned Amazon and is the grand old age of 23 years old. As one of the oldest contestants in the competition, JoJo certainly has life experience having been rescued by a parrot refuge charity in her early years. Quite the character, JoJo has blossomed at home in Huddersfield and can often be found practicing for the influx in attention she expects from her recent Face of Amazon Pets category win. JoJo creates fake electronic phone noises before answering ‘Hello, are you ok? What are you doing?’ Always the professional, JoJo will listen for her caller’s praise before saying ‘thank you and goodbye’.
• Lippy the fish – Lippy is an 11-month old Crowntail Betta fish who lives with her owner Mia Fergusson in the seaside town of Scarborough. When Lippy isn’t showing Mia her graceful food-catching jumps, she is happily sharing her tank with her fellow fish friends including Ember Tetras and Least Rasboras.
• Bakana the Bearded Dragon – is six years old and has been living with his owner Tine Lighten-Duncan in Worthing, West Sussex since he was a baby. Ensuring he is camera ready and looking his best, Bakana combines exercise and rest into his daily routine. When he isn’t sitting on his favourite log in his vivarium, he likes to run around the living room and find a comfy spot on the back of the sofa or in front of the window in the sun.

For winning the Face of Amazon Pets 2018, Crème Brulee receives the main prize of a £1,500 Amazon Gift Card and a photoshoot with professional pet photographer Rachel Oates, images from which will be featured on the Amazon.co.uk Pet Supplies Store this autumn. The six Face of Amazon Pets category winners have each been awarded a £200 Amazon Gift Card.

“It was a particularly competitive year with some outstanding entries across all categories but Crème Brulee has galloped to the finish line with his eye-catching picture and fun-loving nature,” said James Bate, Pet Supplies Director, Amazon.co.uk and Face of Amazon Pets judge. “Despite being a little Shetland pony, we’re expecting big things from Crème Brulee and we’re sure his winning photoshoot is just the beginning. The images will take pride of place on the Amazon Pet Supplies Store for all to enjoy. We would like to thank all those who entered this year’s Face of Amazon Pets and hope Crème Brulee inspires the next top pet model to follow in his winning hoof-steps.”

The Amazon.co.uk Pet Supplies Store offers a vast selection of products for dogs, cats, birds, fish & aquatic pets, horses, reptiles & amphibians, small animals, farm animals and more. From pet food, supplements, treats and health supplies to toys, accessories, grooming products and the latest in pet technology, there are hundreds of thousands of products available, along with expert guides on how to keep your pets happy and healthy.

For more information on the Face of Amazon Pets competition, visit www.amazon.co.uk/faceofamazonpets

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