From the heartwarming reunion between a dog and an owner after his pet was missing for 77 days to potential big-cat sightings, we've seen plenty of animal stories this week.
We have also been putting together our weekly Newsweek Pet of the Week candidates from our reader's pictures and videos.
If you think your pet could be next week's Pet of the Week, don't forget to follow the instructions at the end of this story to get involved.
Winner
This week, our Newsweek Pet of the Week is Gigi, a French bulldog from Willoughby, Ohio.
The 6-year-old dog went to live in the Cleveland suburb with owner Jackie Good when she was just a year old.
"Her previous owner worked quite long hours, so they wanted her to have a better lifestyle," Good told Newsweek.
Playful Gigi is now a firm part of the family and loves toys. "She is always ready to play fetch, tug rope, or to run around being a total goofball," said Good.
In a video sent to Newsweek, Gigi showed off just how great she is at playing fetch with her tennis-ball shooter.
Finalists
Our first finalist this week is Misu, a cat who is still a big part of her owner's life, even a decade after her death.
Bradford McCormick, from Mount Kisco, New York, said Misu even became famous when she was put on the advertising brochure cover of a local animal shelter.
"Misu died about a decade ago at 12 years old," McCormick told Newsweek. "She was a small and very loving cat. My toddler daughter could push her around in her baby carriage.
"We also had a coat rack, which Misu like to scale like a mountain and perch on the top," said McCormick. "On top of Mount Misu, all the coats covered with cat hair."
Next up this week are Taz and Pebbles, rescue cats who live in Mesa, Arizona. Two of five felines in the house, they are a big part of the family.
"Pebbles loves to cuddle with her four brothers and sisters, and Taz loves to be outside and hunt," owner Larry Foster told Newsweek.
"Until I was 50, I was not a cat guy. My wife always had one and I would tolerate them," said Foster. "She brought home a tabby kitten one day, and it stole my heart. I learned from her that cats are amazing, loving animals, highly intelligent. Now I enjoy the love they give, the sleeping on us. They know when we are sick and guard us."
Last but not least this week, Bella, a cat who traveled all the way from Texas to Wisconsin with her owner Barb Kraus.
"This picture was taken at a hotel in Iowa on the way," Kraus told Newsweek. "When we were getting ready to continue our drive in the morning, we could not find her. We thought the cleaning people came in while we were loading the car and she ran out. We looked all over, even checking with the front desk. They said maybe she got behind the nightstands—she could not go under the bed."
Kraus's husband was ready to give the front desk their information and set out, but she refused to leave without her beloved cat.
"I checked one last spot—there was a little space behind the television cabinet and she had crawled under," Kraus said. "She was tired of riding in the car. She was a real trooper."
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.
