Presenting Newsweek’s Pet of the Year And Her Adorable Court Of Runners-Up

• Newsweek has come up with their first-ever-pet of the year— Olive the deaf rescue dog who knows a form of sign language.
• Olive also takes care of his dog sibling who is almost blind.
• The other finalists are three dogs and one cat who are also rescued.

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For the first time, Newsweek presents its Pet of the Year.

The crown belongs to Olive, a mixed-breed chihuahua/terrier who is deaf but knows a form of sign language.  She survived having been neglected.  When her new owner Elizabeth Dachs first saw her on Facebook, she knew she would be able to get Olive back on her feet.  Even with missing teeth, inability to walk, completely deaf and with a large open sore on her back, she just could not leave the 8-pound dog alone in the pound.

Olive’s amazing recovery serves as an inspiration for everyone.

As Dachs said, “Olive is small but mighty and very loving. I thank my lucky stars every day for allowing us to have Olive in our lives. She is part of our family now.”

And now for the finalists.

Like Olive, Howard was also abandoned. Kerry Carlson found him at the Vintage Pet Rescue in Foster, Rhode Island. They specialize in taking care of seniors and dogs with disabilities to give them a chance of finding a new home.

Carlson discovered early on that Howard had a failing eyesight. A vet diagnosed him with double glaucoma, leaving him blind.  But it is not stopping Howard from living his best life.

Carlson said, “He’s so happy and navigates the world like a champ. I’m always so proud of him.” Carlson added, “I’m a hiker, so Howard is often out hiking with me. He loves it. Sometimes I swear he’s smiling.”

Next is Sugar, an 11-year-old dog of mixed breed who has become a carer of one of her siblings, Miggy, a rescue with failing vision.  Sugar also experienced abuse and her owner, Alli, saw her on Craigslist in Florida.  When Alli met Sugar, the dog could barely run and would scream if her hip area was touched.

But Sugar’s mom now describes her as “a princess and sweet as the day is long.”

Lastly, we come to the lone feline in the list — Blackie the rescue cat. She came from California but now lives safely in Louisiana. Her new mom Diane Rakowski said Blackie was “left to his own devices, homeless, to roam the streets.” And the skittish, elusive, hungry and homeless cat appealed to Rakowski.

Now, Blackie is a spoiled indoor cat who is living his life in luxury. Rakowski is extremely proud that Blackie ended up as a finalist.

Congratulations, fur babies!  

For all fur parents, your pets may not have ended on the list but we know they are super special.

Source: Newsweek