When you work at a veterinary practice, there’s no shortage of cute pet photo opportunities. Whether it’s for your blog posts, social media, or website, professional imagery is essential for your veterinary content. After all, captivating images garner more attention on social media and break up large chunks of text.
While using images from your own clinic is ideal, you might find that sometimes you don’t have that perfect photo on hand to suit your needs. When that happens, where can you find quality photos without breaking copyright law or your budget?
Unfortunately, grabbing an image from a quick Google search could mean legal trouble for your practice. Instead, check out our comprehensive list of free image sources that you can adopt for commercial use.
To cover your bases, we recommend always checking the license and terms of use on the image website to make sure that you’re falling within copyright.
Public Domain Images (CC0 License)
Images under the CC0 license are in the public domain, meaning that the photos can be copied, modified, and distributed, even for commercial purposes, without requesting permission. All the images on the websites below are under the Creative Commons Public Domain (CC0) license and do not require attribution.
You won’t need to create an account to use these images, by the way. The registration is for those who wish to upload their own photos for use by others.  Just make sure you hit “free download” not “premium download,” which has a fee.
Pixabay
One of our all-time favorites featuring a huge searchable library of quality images. Pixabay doesn’t require registration to use their images, but if you choose not to register, you’ll have to do a reCAPTCHA to prove you’re not a robot every time you download something.
Stockosnap.io
Another great option for high quality curated stock images from around the web. Trust this database when you’re in a bind for a specific photo and need it fast.
Pexels
Here’s another one of our favorite sites—the creators have a talent for curating beautiful photos, sometimes including images from other sites on this list. At least 70 new photos are added weekly, to mix things up.
Unsplash
While this website may not offer the same breadth of choice as the others, we still love it because of the outstanding quality of the photos. Plus, every 10 days they post 10 new high-resolution images. Score!
Public Domain
Looking for a more casual, unpolished photo? Public Domain Pictures has a large library of free images uploaded by amateur photographers across the net who feature their furry friends in plenty of shots.
Alternative Licenses
Not all free use images fall under the CC0 license, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t still use them. The websites listed below use alternative licenses and remain free for use—some requiring attribution, some not.
ISO Republic
Technically, this website is still covered under CC0 licensing but attribution is very much appreciated. These free stock images are designed for creative professionals—yes, that’s you! Plus, new high-resolution photos are added every week.
Magdeleine
Despite the fact that this website’s database isn’t as large, it’s worth checking out for its gorgeous pet photos. While all photos are free, not all are under the CC0 license, and some do require attribution. One helpful workaround is to filter your search according to license in the menu on the right-hand side. Simply select “CC0-Public Domain” to see only photos that don’t require attribution.
Free Range
Free Range is another great place to find valuable free images. You can learn about licensing in their terms of use, but essentially, when you sign-up for a free membership, you can use any of their free images with or without crediting the source. As usual, credit is appreciated when possible!
Finding images can be tough, especially if you have to worry about copyright law and sticking to a budget. Bookmark this post to streamline your search for the perfect veterinary photo every time.
