Pet of the Week Top Ten

By Christine DiMeo, Pet-itor

It’s the end of the 2015-16 school year and that means–gasp!–the last Pet of the Week?! That’s right, I, your loyal Pet-itor, am graduating from Greenwood, which means that this the last Pet of the Week feature (and last article in general) I will ever write for The Daily Chomp.

So, in addition to the regular feature for this week, I’m going to end this year with a bang by ranking my top ten favorite pets of the week since the PotW column’s beginning in January of 2015. Of course, I have loved each and every animal that I have written about, but some had exceptional stories that meant especially much for me to write about. So, without further ado: Pet of the Week Top Ten!

10) Ethel

Ethel was a plus-sized dog, who didn’t let her weight slow her down. She loved to run in the funniest way, plus she had the most lovable, silly personality.

9) Missy & Leviya

Missy and Liveya were an unusual pair of friends. Missy was shy but sweet, and Leviya was as goofy and outgoing as can be. However, despite their differences, they worked together to bring out the best in each other, which is what a true friendship is all about.

8) Beagle Brothers

The Beagle Brothers–TJ, Josh, and Browning–were three 12-year-old Beagles who had a lot of spunk. They each had different, lovable personalities that made them a perfect bunch to profile in a Pet of the Week feature.

TJ, Josh, and Browning are the Beagle Brothers.

7) Ohma

Ohma was a sweet little Beagle at the Humane Society who had a massive ruptured tumor on her neck. She was very weak and couldn’t move much, but she had a strong spirit and persevered, remaining positive despite being injured. Hers was one of those inspirational stories that I love to share on Pet of the Week.

6) Rich Kittens

I interviewed Greenwood’s Student Resource Officer, Pete Rich, about three of his cats/”children”, Knick Knacks, Buster, and Harley. He was also kind enough to share pictures of his other cats, Hemi and Petitie, for Pet of the Year. I enjoyed writing this section so much because most of the pets I feature are from the Humane Society, so it was nice to get some Greenwood animals.

From left: Knick Knacks, Buster, and Harley

5) Radar the Weather Dog

Radar is a great inspiration for shelter animals everywhere because he is such a prominent figure in the Bowling Green community, but he was a homeless, adoptable dog once in his life. Ever since, he’s never stopped giving back to other shelter animals, so of course I knew I needed to do a Pet of the Week feature on him. His back story is so heartwarming and his impact is so widespread that the feature practically writes itself.

radar2 — Even though has been named the #1 TV personality in Bowling Green, Radar still takes the time to take pictures with fans.

4) CanDoo

CanDoo is a service dog at WKU. I loved writing his PotW feature so much because is such a hero that he is almost larger than life. Not only is he friendly and lovable, but he diligently looks out for others 24/7.

CanDoo sits beneath the tree on Christmas.

3) Griff

If you’ve been reading Pet of the Week from the start, then it should be no surprise to see Griff the Great Pyrenees on this list. How could the very first Pet of the Week ever not make it on the very last Pet of the Week ever? Griff was a resilient and good-hearted guy, who made a good life out of 8 bullet wounds and a broken leg. Griff’s determination and the kindness of his new forever family were the kind of heartwarming story that people need to hear on Pet of the Week.

2) Francis

Francis was the epitome of the word “cute”. This tiny, elderly Dachshund mix had adorable, huge eyes and was very shy, but when it was up to her to act in a short film, she was a real star. Surely she fulfilled this column’s mission to brighten up people’s week.

1) Bella

Bella may not be a hero or a TV star, but hers was my favorite Pet of the Week feature of all time because her story is one that is universally inspirational for people and animals in any set of circumstances. Bella was terrified after being surrendered to the Bowling Green humane society, but with consistent work by the people at the shelter, she learned to open up and love again. Rehabilitation is such a difficult process that saddeningly few people and animals successfully complete. However, Bella’s story shows us that it’s possible to come back from anything, a message that we all need to hear.

The picture on the left was taken by the Humane Society staff when Bella just arrived, scared and shy. The picture on the right was taken this weekend, four months later. Bella is now happy and very social. — The picture on the left was taken by the Humane Society staff when Bella just arrived, scared and shy. The picture on the right was taken four months later. Bella is now happy and very social.

Those were my top ten favorite Pet of the Week features to write. If you have a favorite that I didn’t cover, leave a comment below or send an email to The Daily Chomp at thedaily.chomp@warren.kyschools.us.

If you feel like binge reading all of the old Pet of the Week sections like I do, you can see them all here.

It has been a huge pleasure to do this column for the past two years, and I wish the best of luck to all of these shelter pets in their new homes.