A guard dog in the suburbs of Yakutsk, Russia, considered to be the coldest city in the world, January 2014. (Photo by Amos Chapple/REX Features)

It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

Papier-mache pandas, created by French artist Paulo Grangeon, are covered with conical hats as they are displayed under the rain at the financial Central district in Hong Kong June 21, 2014. The installation arrived in the city on Monday, launching the month-long “1600 Pandas World Tour in Hong Kong: Creativity meets Conservation” organized by a local art organiser, according to the official press release. (Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Belgian Photographer Boris Godfroid, a former biology student who recently graduated from film school, started shooting macro photography in 2008. Photo: Bee. (Photo by Boris Godfroid)

A firefighter works outside of a building where an explosion and a fire broke out in Shimbashi area of Tokyo on July 3, 2023. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP Photo)

Actors Alexandra Shipp and Vanessa Hudgens attend a premiere screening for “Tick, Tick . Boom” during the opening night of AFI Fest at TCL Chinese theatre in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 10, 2021. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

A Wallcreeper (aka Tichodroma muraria) flies to a flower on January 28, 2024 in Leshan, Sichuan Province of China. (Photo by Zhou Zhiyong/VCG via Getty Images)

Jackie Leek takes her giant pet tortoise — an eight-year-old African sulcata called Mr Miyagi — on his regular walk to the Crossing Pub in Morecambe, UK on September 25, 2024. Mr Miyagi, who weighs about three stone and will eventually reach ten, also enjoys caravanning holidays. (Photo by William Lailey/South West News Service)