EXCLUSIVE: How the Pet Lovers’ Choice Awards Turned Voting Into Something Bigger

For years, online pet content has thrived on a simple idea: people do not just enjoy watching animals, they see them as part of the family. Fanny Karpman has built an entire platform around that connection, combining humor, bright visuals and a strong emphasis on the emotional bond between humans and their pets.

As an influencer producer for the Pet Lovers’ Choice Awards, Karpman says the goal was never to create just another viral contest. Instead, she wanted to build something that felt more personal and more inclusive than traditional national competitions.

“One of the biggest things we noticed with national competitions is that they can sometimes feel inaccessible to everyday pet owners,” Karpman said in an interview with the Wyoming Star. “The ‘Best in State’ format was designed to make the experience feel more personal, inclusive, and locally driven.”

That state-by-state approach taps into a familiar and surprisingly powerful instinct: hometown pride. Rather than concentrating attention on a handful of high-profile entrants, the format gives owners across the country a realistic chance to participate and be recognized.

“There’s something really fun and nostalgic about friendly hometown competition,” she said.

The result, Karpman argues, is a contest that feels less like a distant national award and more like a shared community event.

Public voting sits at the center of that model. It turns audiences into active participants rather than passive observers, creating emotional investment in the outcome.

“Public voting is really at the heart of the Pet Lovers’ Choice Awards because it allows the audience itself to help shape the outcome,” Karpman said.

At the same time, she acknowledges that fan-driven competitions only work if participants trust the process.

“We continuously monitor the voting process, use backend protections and moderation tools, and adapt systems as participation grows,” she said.

One of the more unexpected developments has been how differently states have embraced the competition.

“Every state has developed its own personality,” Karpman said. “Some states are incredibly energized and highly engaged, while others have a more playful and supportive energy.”

That regional dynamic has made the contest feel larger and more organic than a typical online campaign.

But for Karpman, the most important shift is that competitions like this are evolving into tools for community-building.

“I think that’s exactly where fan-driven competitions are heading,” she said. “Pets naturally bring people together, and audiences today are looking for experiences that feel interactive and emotionally meaningful, not just passive forms of entertainment.”

What starts as a vote often turns into something more substantial: people discover rescue organizations, rally behind one another’s pets and share stories about what animals mean in their lives.

“The competition becomes something bigger than simply voting,” Karpman said. “It creates conversation, participation, and genuine emotional investment.”

That broader mission is also why the awards partnered with Best Friends Animal Society.

“Supporting animal welfare, rescue efforts, and education has always been a core part of the mission,” Karpman said.

She described the partnership as a natural extension of the project’s underlying purpose: celebrating pets while also helping animals in need.

Looking ahead, Karpman sees the awards as the foundation for a much larger platform.

“We see this as something much larger than a traditional awards competition,” she said.

The long-term vision includes live events, expanded categories, collaborations with shelters and brands, and more ways for people to engage beyond casting votes.

“At its core, the goal is to build something that brings people together through a shared love of animals while also creating a positive impact,” Karpman said.

In an online world often driven by fleeting trends, the Pet Lovers’ Choice Awards are built on a simpler and more durable idea: people may arrive for the competition, but they stay for the connection.