Pets Issue Contest Entries

Perhaps it was a bold move, asking Jmore readers to nominate their beloved pets and submit photos of their favorite critters to be featured in our “Pets Issue.” Some might even call it a journalistic “faux paw” on our part. (Sorry about that.)

Nonetheless, we were touched and overwhelmed by the volume of submissions and worthiness of the candidates, not to mention the unadulterated love, devotion and emotion conveyed by “owners” about their pets.

Here are some of our favorites, as well as some “honorable mentions.” And we celebrate those four-legged friends – dogs, cats, turtles, horses, what-have-you – and other furry creatures who live among us and bring so much joy and meaning to our lives.

My 2-year-old rescue pup Ziggy is as unique and silly as his name, and is destined to be a cover dog! He was originally picked up down in North Carolina as a stray, and now he’s living the good life in Locust Point. He quickly obtained the nickname “Ziggy the Piggy” because he’s so food-obsessed. When not eating, he’s usually playing with my roommate’s Dachshund mix, Henry, taking a nap or begging for more food. He’s my first dog, and I can’t imagine life without him! –Jenny Cohen
After 12 years of working in the Jewish community in Boston, I moved to Baltimore in September to take a job at Hopkins and don’t know a soul here. When my wonderful cats, Lady Tovia Grey (“Tovia” for “good” in Hebrew) and Timber Lane, greet me every night — along with my beautiful Fells Point view — things don’t feel so new after all. I adopted them about a year ago from a shelter where they were rescued from the wild as kittens, and they are very close, affectionate and cuddly. They even have their own instafeed — @timbertovia! Wonderful adventures await me in this fun and friendly new city, but as far as Timber and Tovia are concerned, a sunny windowsill on which to curl up together makes Baltimore their home. –Jeanne Ruckert Lovy
Mango is full of energy, life and lots of love! He’s 35 pounds three months old, but the biggest baby ever! My sweet Rottie might look fierce, but he’s a little lover! –Jessica Maimon
Luna brings light into our life. She is our new Great Pyrenees puppy. Her puppy smiles and happy tail wags bring us joy. She is very bonded already to my daughter, who has mild autism spectrum disorder. She is extremely gentle with us. She loves the kids. She already knows how to sit and wait. She can ring the bell to go outside. Her fur is soft and fluffy with a tan spot on the top of her head. She has “Pyr paws,” which are huge paws almost like hands. She will gently put her paw on your arm as if to say hello or pet me! I will start her official puppy class in December. I am hoping to train her to be a therapy dog. And she is already bringing great unconditional love to our family! –Dr. Alice Wilkenfeld
Flynn Fried-Stern is a fun-loving scruffy rescue who at just 4 years old shows a genuine lust for life, snacks and scratches. Hiking around the beautiful trails of Maryland is one of his favorite activities, and he is always quick to make a friend out of anyone he meets. Living in a house of musicians (that he lovingly protects from squirrels), Flynn loves to grab his closest toy and squeak along with the music or lay under the marimba and encase himself in the sound. Always quick to work a pose for the camera, Flynn is already climbing his way into the spotlight. He made his first public appearance onstage in 2017 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra playing the role of “Dog” in George Gershwin’s “Walking the Dog.” –Zoe Fried
I am quite handsome (although not very modest). I was 8 weeks young when I moved to Pikesville. My family had just lost their beloved dog, Odie. My job was to help them heal with plenty of wet kisses. In the past two years, I’ve learned about Shabbat and Rosendorf challah. I search high and low for hidden morsels. I’m an extremely playful guy who loves a good romp with my best dog-friend, Grace. The neighbor who cares for me when my family travels even has very small dogs. I like to be part of the pack, so I let them boss me around. Some neighbors even say I’m a pit bull ambassador. One day we should meet! –Dino (Jonathan Edelman)
DevashThe word devash means honey in Hebrew. My dad, Howard Brill, picked him out of a litter almost two years ago and said he was the lightest-colored dog he’d ever seen and that he reminded him of honey. Devash is a Yellow Lab and just turned 2.Unfortunately, my dad passed away last May due to pancreatic cancer. Devash never left his side when my dad was home in hospice. Devash was primarily my dad’s dog, and now is owned by me and my sister, Debbie. Dad always wanted Devash to shine a light and make people happy. He is such a joy to take to all the places we go, even on hikes, and Devash has even made an appearance at my uncle’s restaurant, Citron.I know that Devash brought my dad so much joy and was a calming sense of light and comfort during his last months.
Comet is a Shih Tzu/Maltese and is 1.5 years old. Some of Comet’s favorite activities are playing the role of sentry, chewing noses off stuffed animals and silently begging for human food with big, brown, pleading eyes. He loves playing fetch, too, though he has yet to master the art of mid-air catches. One of Comet’s many charms is his Houdini-esque behavior. He can shimmy out of his harness and make the insides of shoes disappear faster than the blink of an eye. He is also quite smart — he ferreted out a gift from the tooth fairy and ingested an entire chocolate bar, wrapper and all. On that note, he regularly funnels money into the local economy, whether it be the cobbler, the pet ER (chocolate and dogs do not mix well), pet store, groomer, dog walker, etc. To his credit, he makes up for it in spades. He is cute as a button and recently lit up senior citizens’ faces when he visited Tudor Heights as an unofficial therapy dog. –Abby Weinstock
This is Bean, one of my four dogs, with Vinnie, one of my five rescue cats. I brought Vinnie home when he was about five weeks old, removing him from a very sad situation. Bean stepped into the role of mothering right away, as she has done with our four other cats. Bean can be found in this snuggled-up position with any of the five, at any time of day. –Nina Early
Baxter is a 5-year-old, 17-pound Yorkie and was named after the movie “Anchorman.” He is full of life, fun, silly and playful. Baxter is very protective. He is also a “model” from where I got him at Charm City Puppies in Columbia. He has been on the billboard there since he was a puppy! When he arrived there, they named him “Gigantor” because he was so big. No one wanted him, so they reduced him in price, and one day on my birthday I decided to play with the dogs there for “free” … and walked out months later with Baxter.Baxter loves daycare and runs around with the best of them, and in fact won the fastest dog eating contest two years in a row at the CA Dogfest. He beat out all the big labs! –Melissa Halpern

Also see: Pets Issue Cover Shoot