It's been an eventful week for pet owners and animal lovers alike.
Over the past seven days, Newsweek has brought you a heartwarming story about a first play date between a foster puppy and his new canine companion as well as hilarious footage of a stray cat trying wet food for the first time.
Elsewhere, a golden retriever got into a heap of trouble after being busted digging holes in the backyard when they thought no one was looking.
As well as reporting on the latest trends around all things furry and four-legged, Newsweek has also been busy putting together our favorite reader submissions for Newsweek Pet of the Week.
Don't forget, if you want to celebrate your animal companion and sign them up to be our Pet of the Week, you can find out how to enter at the end of this article.
Pet of the Week Winners
This week's winner is Emmalou, the feline who puts the "cat" into "cat-titude." Greg DeLaCerda adopted Emmalou from a foster house where she was living with two mastiffs and a bunny rabbit.
Now 8, it's fair to say that experience has had an impact on her, with Emmalou proving as fearless as she is affectionate. "She's extremely lovable, loves to cuddle, and loves dogs," Greg's friend Chadwick Palmatier told Newsweek.
Palmatier put Emmalou forward along with a video showing exactly why this cat is not one to be messed with. In the clip, her owner, DeLaCerda, can be heard broaching the subject of Emmalou maybe going on a diet. But before he can finish his sentence, Emmalou places a paw to his lips, effectively shushing him and ending the conversation. She's an active cat. "Emmalou loves going on walks (Greg walks her all the time), camping, and going to the beach," Palmatier said.
However, it's that show of sass in shutting down talk of diets, that has helped her win the Pet of the Week award. Congratulations.
Finalists
The first of our runners-up comes from the Oregon Coast. Giley the Pomeranian might be 10 years old, but his owner Anne Hawkes said, "Everybody thinks he's a puppy" including possibly Giley himself.
"He loves going on walks; riding in his car seat & nagging me to go to bed at night," Hawkes told Newsweek. "He loves getting new clothes, bow-ties & toys; he knows all his toys by name but his favorite is Pinkie; first toy I ever got him; he sleeps with it most nights."
Hawkes describes Giley as a "very well-behaved little gentleman" who obeys her commands and loves to sit on his owner's lap when they visit friends because "he knows he's not allowed to roam in someone else's house."
A happy-go-lucky dog who loves the July 4 celebrations, Giley is friendly to other pets, too, though there are exceptions. "He likes all other little dogs and cats, but not cats if they come in 'HIS' yard; chases them away," Hawkes said. "He thinks it's his job to keep all crows away from the yard and he insists on watching the street out front in the mornings and afternoons when others walk or walk their dogs."
AnaLisa Juarez suffered every dog owner's worst nightmare after relocating with her family in 2011; her beloved 10-year-old pug Chica died.
After some cajoling, she eventually convinced her husband to buy another dog. But that didn't quite go to plan either—because they came home with two. Christened Lil Bow-wow and Shaggy, the pug pair are due to turn 8 in August and have since been joined by two more canine siblings, Nicki Minaj and Bruno Mars.
Lil Bow-wow and Shaggy might both be pugs, but they have different roles in the family. Lil Bow-wow is the emotional one. "If I cry he will literally cry tears. He taps when he wants something and if he can't see me he will howl and cry usually when he is on the bed," Juarez told Newsweek.
"Shaggy is our little wannabe guard dog," she added. "He gives kisses when you ask and has this little tail that wags anytime you talk about him." Juarez works from home as a pharmacy technician with her canines keeping her company throughout. "Bow-wow knows he is number one in the house," she said. "Shaggy is just a sweetheart but barks at anyone he doesn't know. They are definitely characters, each their own."
Finally, there's Ziggy, the adorable cute labradoodle who likes to keep her owner, Lydia Ayala-Parris, on his toes. "She loves hiking in the outdoors and is such a sweet girl," Ayala-Parris said.
Ziggy looks primed for a pooch modeling career too, if the photo sent in of her relaxing among the dandelions is anything to go by. "She definitely knows how to pose for the camera," Ayala-Parris 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.
