13-year-old Eilidh has won with her sweet image of dog Lexie
A young teen from Scotland has been named winner of the RSPCA’s Young Photographer People’s Choice Award after securing over 1,000 votes.
15 images were shortlisted in the awards from children and young people across the UK who were all vying for the public vote. Eilidh Shannon, 13, from Inverurie, was the stand-out winner with her photo ‘Keeping a Look Out’ which shows spaniel Lexie poking her head out of the cat flap.
Eilidh said: “I’m so pleased to have won the People’s Choice Award. It’s an incredible feeling! My dogs are like best friends and I find that you can just sit next to them and whether happy or sad they’re there for you, they’re so lovely and kind. Lexie always likes to know what’s going on. If I go out into the garden without her she can’t bear it if she is not allowed to come too. She uses the cat flap to keep a close eye on me!”
Andrew Forsyth, RSPCA photographer and judge of the RSPCA’s Young Photographer Awards, added: “This photo captured the hearts of the public and captured Lexie’s personality and her love for Eilidh perfectly. The image is a very worthy winner!
“We’d urge all budding young photographers to please keep an eye out for the opening of submissions to the competition this year, or you can register your interest now at YPA25@rspca.org.uk and we’ll send you full information when we launch.”
The other shortlisted images were:
- ‘Spotted, the young lady’ featuring a ladybird larvae, photographed by Flynn Thaitanunde-Lobb, aged 10, from Hampshire
- ‘Paws’ features a cat’s paws as they climb a tree taken by Megan Smith, 12, from Edinburgh
- ‘Hungry Fish’ featuring a carp, by Tom Wiseman, aged 15, from Kent
- ‘The Portal’ featuring a reflection of a dog by Iceni Newcombe, aged 15, from Kent
- ‘The elegant slug’ featuring an image of a slug at a waterfall in Whitby, taken by Eva Steel, aged 14, from Cornwall
- ‘Frisbee Lion’ shows dog Betsie catching a frisbee, taken by George Avery, aged 12, from Cornwall
- ‘It Lurks’ shows a jellyfish at an aquarium, snapped by Ellie Tsang, aged 17, from London
- ‘Behind the Leaves’ features cat Luna hiding in bushes snapped by Eliza Harvey-Keightley, aged 14, from Surrey
- ‘3,2,1…Go!’ shows Emily the cat mid-run, snapped by last year’s YPA winner Anwen Whitehead, 15, from Wales
- ‘Biscuit?’ features dog Herb as he rests his chin on a table desperate for a treat, by Henrietta Stewart, aged seven, from Bedfordshire
- ‘Funny Face’ shows dog Jess pulling a face as she tries to catch a ball, by Ella Moakler-Woodhouse, aged 10, from Leeds
- ‘Beautiful Moth’ shows a moth perched on a window and taken by Rehana Nelson, aged 15, from Staffordshire
- ‘Star Catching’ features dog Robin on an evening walk, by Grace Marshall, aged 18, from West Sussex
Entries for the main RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2025 will open on Tuesday, 6 May and will be judged by a panel of photographic experts.
For more information visit: https://young.rspca.org.uk/ypa/home