There's never a dull moment in the world of pets at Newsweek, and the past seven days have been no exception.
It's been a week of mixed emotions for dog fans. There was the story about Teddy, the 13-year-old pug who sadly had to be put down, though not before enjoying his favorite candy on his last day. There were tears of a different kind after the owner of another pug, Plusha, returned from six months away to find her beloved canine was there to greet her at the airport.
In the world of cats, there was high drama after a furry feline suffered an epic fall from a ladder. Thankfully, the four-legged thrill seeker escaped relatively unharmed.
Right now, though, the focus is on this week's Pet of the Week finalists—a quartet of rescue animals with a noticeable focus on the occasionally weird but mostly wonderful world of mixed-breed dogs.
Don't forget, if you would like to be part of our weekly Pet of the Week lineup, scroll down to the bottom of this article to find out more.
Winner
This week's winner is Lucy, a miniature pinscher and Chihuahua mix who was adopted by Gina McGuckin of O'Fallon, Missouri. Lucy caught attention with her habit of fighting her owner's garden sprinklers, but in truth she's always been something of a fighter in the best possible sense of the word.
"We fostered Lucy as a puppy," McGuckin told Newsweek. "But she was very ill with [parvovirus], and it was touch and go as to whether she would make it."
Still, McGuckin and her family decided to adopt her. "We fell in love and wanted to make her part of the family," she said.
Lucy will turn 2 in August and has gone from strength to strength ever since her illness. She's a ball of energy, sometimes a little too much energy, in fact. "When you get her to sit or stay and then shout 'free,' she screams and runs into the backyard. She also always wants to play ball," McGuckin said.
Lucy even wears a special doughnut ring around her neck to stop her from escaping through the fence. That's what she's got on in the video shared with Newsweek, in which she can be seen tussling with her owner's "irrigation monster." There's only one winner in that fight, though, and it's Lucy.
Finalists
Like Lucy, Blondie is a mixed-breed dog who went on quite a journey before finally landing a forever home. Her owner, Michelle Palmer from Ohio, rescued her when she was just a year old.
"I was leaving the school where I worked one evening, and she came out of the woods whimpering," Palmer told Newsweek. "I tried to find her owners, to no avail. I took her to the vet, and they discovered that she was heartworm-positive. Thankfully, the vet was able to cure the heartworm, and she has been mine since."
Now at the ripe old age of 13, this Yorkie-Pomeranian mix is a much-loved part of Palmer's life. "She is very gentle and lovable," Palmer said. "She is also very spoiled and loves to wear clothes. Blondie has a closet full of her own clothes. She is my little princess."
Next up is Leo, a 7-year-old Highlander cat who was adopted by his owner, Phyllis Scalettar of Maryland, in 2022.
"He's probably the smartest cat I've had during the 40-plus years of being a cat mom," Scalettar told Newsweek. "He opens drawers and cabinets, then climbs into them; is the kitchen witch, watching everything from his favorite perch on the island; and shares my husband's affinity for television, whether news or cartoons or baseball."
Leo is also an impressive jumper who likes to start each day by holding "a loud, high-pitched note" to let Scalettar know he is ready for his breakfast. Noted for his distinctive blue eyes and curly ears, Leo loves to survey his kingdom from the comfort of a cat tree or cat condo that his owners have happily spoiled him with.
Last but most certainly not least is Daisy, who resides with Betty Arenas, who lives near Denver. When Arenas first rescued Daisy, she was listed on her adoption papers as a "strange-looking Chihuahua."
Eager to find out more, she paid for a DNA test. "We found out she is definitely a Chihuahua mixed with a pug and other assorted breeds. Obviously, the pug features are very strong. She even has a pug bod," Arenas told Newsweek.
Daisy was pregnant when Arenas first adopted her and eventually gave birth to five puppies, two of whom the family remains in touch with. When she's not indulging in her first love, food, Daisy is something of an adventurous spirit.
"She loves chasing bees and wasps and taking walks where she nearly drags her poor 6-pound Chihuahua brother, Charlie, who is almost 11. She is double his size," Arenas said. "She loves to dress up and play with her stuffed toys."
Arenas said Daisy and Charlie have been like a rock to her during times of depression. "I love the way she rubs her head on our faces to show affection," she said.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
