Worthing bearded dragon is reptile winner in Face of Amazon Pets 2018

A bearded dragon from Worthing impressed judges with model potential to win the reptile category in a national competition.
Bakana the bearded dragon, from Worthing, won the reptile category of the Face of Amazon Pets 2018 competitionBakana the bearded dragon, from Worthing, won the reptile category of the Face of Amazon Pets 2018 competition
Bakana the bearded dragon, from Worthing, won the reptile category of the Face of Amazon Pets 2018 competition

Six-year-old Bakana fought off fierce competition to be named the category winner as part of the search for the Face of Amazon Pets 2018.

After being crowned champion of the reptiles, Bakana and owner Tina Lighten-Duncan were awarded a £200 Amazon gift card.

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Tina said: “We were so pleased to find out that Bakana has been made category winner in the Face of Amazon Pets.

Crème Brulee the Shetland pony was chosen as the Face of Amazon Pets 2018Crème Brulee the Shetland pony was chosen as the Face of Amazon Pets 2018
Crème Brulee the Shetland pony was chosen as the Face of Amazon Pets 2018

“He’ll be so excited when he sees the treats and accessories that we’re picking out with his winnings that he’ll be running around the sitting room.”

To become camera ready and looking the best, Bakana combines exercise and rest into the day. When not sitting on a favourite log in the vivarium, owners said Bakana 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.

Proud animal owners across the country entered thousands of photos of their beloved pets online using the hashtag #AmazonPets in a bid to become the official model for the Amazon Pet Supplies Store.

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The five most liked, commented and shared entries alongside five wildcard entries for each of the seven categories of 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 social media stars of the pet world, the Face of Amazon Pets judging panel included Ashley Roberts, current star of Strictly Come Dancing and owner of Maltese dog Cooper, Rachel Oates, pet photographer and owner of Instagram star Winny the Corgi, pet owner Annie Swift, representing former Face of Amazon Pets winner Effie the rabbit, and James Bate, pet supplies director at Amazon.

Rachel said: “When we first saw Bakana’s entry on the judging day we were blown away by his model potential.

“All seven category winners had something special about them, and Bakana’s sticking out tongue particularly caught our eye.”

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Bakana was a runner up alongside Cookie the dog, Bailey the cat, Hedwig the rabbit, JoJo the bird, and Lippy the fish.

The panel then had the tough job of choosing the overall winner from these seven picture perfect 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.

Judge James Bates said: “It was a particularly competitive year with some outstanding entries across the board, but we believe Bakana had that extra special model potential that put them head and shoulders above the rest

“We would like to thank all those who entered this year’s Face of Amazon Pets and hope this year’s category winners inspire future next top pet models.”

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Crème Brulee, the Face of Amazon Pets 2018, receives 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.

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

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