This week we saw the adorable moment a dog realized she was being adopted in a shelter, as well as a shelter that has found an amazing way to get their dogs into the Christmas spirit.
We’ve also been enjoying stories from our readers about their pets, from adorable and hilarious videos and photos submitted for our Newsweek Pet of the Week.
If you want your pet to be part of next week’s lineup, follow the instructions at the end of this story to get involved.
Winner
Ellen Baer
This week’s Pet of the Week is Ms. Charley, a once-timid foster cat who has learned how to play—and loves it.
Ellen Baer, who fosters Charley, told Newsweek: “She came to me after her human passed away, leaving her to fend for herself. She has a sweet personality and loves to purr—I sometimes call her ‘Purr Purr.'”
After a failed adoption that left Charley frightened and mistreated, she was returned to Baer’s care.
“I found her a home with a younger couple who agreed, after our communicating for a couple of months, to adopt her and [that] if it didn’t ‘work out’ that they would contact me. They wanted to give her back after three days,” Baer said. That was when she introduced Charley to toys, like the ball run in the video, and before long the cat realized she enjoyed it.
“She’s smart,” said Baer. “Within minutes she was batting the balls around with both paws. She loves it.”
Despite her struggles, Charley’s resilience and loving nature continues to shine through. “She is what I call a ‘rubber’ cat—rubbing against me and everything in sight. She loves to purr and enjoys being spoken to,” Baer said.
Finalists
Robin
Our first finalist this week is Petra, a German shepherd dog who loves other animals. “She takes a morning walk with a group of dogs that live in and around the neighborhood,” owner Robin told Newsweek.
As a group, Petra and her friends run around, play in water, chase balls and, of course, sit waiting for treats.
Laura Cameron
Our next finalist this week is Dexter, also known as Dex. A Dalmatian, he is often found out and about enjoying walks by the water.
To add to the excitement, this week, he is celebrating his sixth birthday.
Shelly Abbot
Last but not least this week is 14-year-old Diva and her puppy pal GeminEye.
When Shelly Abbot first picked up a 5-month-old Gemmie, senior dog Diva wasn’t sure. “Diva was scared of Gemmie wouldn’t go near her,” Abbot told Newsweek.
But it just took one familiar treat to get Diva on board. “We took a car ride to get a pup cup; now Diva loves her like she’s her pup,” the owner 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.
