Celebrating pets and their people
sponsored content with Southern Cross Pet Insurance
Nominations open
New Zealand’s most charismatic cats, big-hearted dogs, and the vet teams who keep them thriving are once again stepping into the spotlight, as Southern Cross Pet Insurance opens nominations for the 2026 Pawsies Awards.
After a successful debut in 2025, the awards are back - bigger, brighter, and determined to celebrate the deep bond between Kiwis and their beloved animals.
Foz won the judge's hearts last year
Foz won the judge's hearts last year
Celeste has great meowmeries of her win last year too
Celeste has great meowmeries of her win last year too
We launched the first ever Pawsies Pet Awards in 2025 and we were blown away by the number of nominations we received for dogs, cats and vet clinic teams all over the country.
Melodie Vickars, Chief Marketing Officer for Southern Cross Pet Insurance, said last year's launch of The Pawsies was an overwhelming success and the team were excited to repeat the engagement with New Zealand pet owners, bringing powerful stories to life.
“Out of a field of thousands, our 2025 winning dog Foz, and champion cat Celeste, stood out for their unique personalities. We’re hoping to see the same enthusiasm from New Zealand pet lovers this year.
“Some of our nominees included cats and dogs who had literally saved their owners’ lives thanks to sniffing out a cancer or being there to support them when times were tough. Our pets give us so much, so nominating them is just one way we can give them something back”
Vickars says one the things that really struck the team and the judges, were the thousands of nominations for Vet Clinic Team of the Year.
She said: “These special humans take the very best of care of our family pets every day. We can’t emphasise enough the important work they do keeping our pets well and happy, including teaching us all how to do our best to support their health and wellbeing."
The winner of the inaugural Pawsie in this category was the Picton Vet Clinic team lead by Dr Christine Mackenzie, who Vickars said was "incredible." Dr Mackenzie not only is well loved for her care of her clients but is also well known for her activity in her local community.
"Christine is such an important part of her community organising fundraisers and education sessions in schools, outside of her usual working day caring for her furry clients.”
So how can your pets and your vets be in to win in 2026?
Dog and cat owners in Aotearoa who think their pooch or puss is the absolute best, can put forward a nomination in The Pawsies and put their bark or meow where it counts. Remember that it’s not about beauty – judges are looking for pets with personality.
Vickars said Southern Cross Pet Insurance also wants to see people celebrate and acknowledge the incredible mahi our vets do every day to help our furbabies live their absolute best pet life.
"The Pawsies are open to every dog and cat owner in New Zealand. You do not need to be a Southern Cross Pet Insurance customer to nominate," she said.
How to place a nomination
- Head to pawsies.co.nz and get nominating.
- Nominations close April 12, so get cracking!
- A judging panel will then select some epic finalists for the dog and cat of the year awards. They will also decide on the winning vet clinic team.
- Then public voting will open for cats and dogs – feel free to campaign on the socials for your pet!
- Winners for all three categories will be announced in June.
What's up for grabs
Finalists will also receive prizes this year. Dog and Cat of the Year winners will win:
- A stunning Pawsies trophy and collar tag (for bragging rights out and about!)
- A training session with animal behaviour guru Mark Vette
- An Animals Like Us prize pack
- A Pickles Portrait to capture your pets star quality
- Your beloved pet on a billboard in your town
- A $500 Animates Gift Card
The Vet Clinic Team of the Year will win: a Pawsies trophy to display in the clinic, Paw Pins for the vet clinic team, a sign to proudly display in their window and a $1000 Prezzy Card to spoil each other, or get on with a project they’ve been putting on hold. A runner-up prize is also up for grabs this year.
What do you need to do?
Get your phones or cameras out, take the best possible photo of Luna, Charlie, Archie or Poppy*, and tell us your story about why your pet or vet deserves a Pawsie. We can’t wait to see what pops up this year.
Make your nomination for Dog of the Year
Make your nomination for Cat of the Year
Make your nomination for Vet Team of the Year
A bit about Southern Cross Pet Insurance
Southern Cross Pet Insurance helps more than 65,000 pets live their best pet lives with great insurance cover. Through its charitable partnerships and initiatives, they also support the vet community through the NZ Veterinary Association, Pet Refuge and Blind Low Vision NZ.
The animal loving team also campaigns on issues like road safety, food safety, keeping pets cool and comfortable, and helping New Zealanders understand the contribution our vets make.
*The most popular pet names in 2025 among New Zealanders who have Southern Cross Pet Insurance are:
DOG: Luna, Charlie, Bella, Poppy, Frankie, Archie, Daisy, Molly, Coco, Ruby
CAT: Luna, Coco, Charlie, Leo, Daisy, Bella, Nala, Loki, Molly, Poppy
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