Bloglander

When we asked readers to send us photos of their animal companions for the Inlander's first-ever Pet Issue photo contest, we had no idea we'd receive as many as we did — well over 250 in just one week!

In hindsight, though, why should we have expected any less? Ask anyone you know to tell you about their dog/cat/rabbit/lizard/fish/pig/etc. and the outpouring of love for these special animal friends flows freely. Inlander readers are no different; you all were more than willing to send us adorable photos and heartwarming stories that each illustrate the palpable joys of the human-animal bond. Picking only three winners to highlight in this year's first-ever Pet Issue was really, really hard.

As the issue's editor and creator of this contest, I was truly gleeful each time another submission came through. We received stories of heartrending rescues, loyal best friends and even memorials to companions who've since passed on. The creative pet names I saw were also an absolute favorite. (Shoutouts to Meriwether Lewis, Kylo Rentriever, Noodle Sheets, Baby Godzilla, Lando and many, many more.)

So, to somewhat make up for my and our other contest judges' guilt that we had to make a decision, and to recognize that all pets are special in their own ways, we decided to share some of standout submissions from the 2018 #InlanderPets photo contest. Make sure to meet our three winners — a deaf rescue dog, a pokey, palm-sized buddy and an adventure cat — in this week's issue.

Whiskey, a shaded cream, long-haired dachshund
Owned by Cynthia Schoch of Spokane
"Whiskey deserves to be featured because he is the neighborhood's welcoming committee. He loves every person he sees and wants to meet all of the animals he sees, especially other dogs! He's stubborn and independent, like all dachshunds, but is so sweet and submissive that he goes belly-up to every creature he meets within minutes (begging, of course, for belly rubs), and is so well behaved that he can go for walks off his leash (in safe areas, of course). We have been together since he was a puppy and he is the little love of my life."

Roo, the rex dumbo rat
Owned by Megan Cuilla, of Spokane
"Rats don’t have the best reputation, what with the plague and all, but they make really great pets and are super friendly. 'But their tails.' Okay, okay. Their tails DO take some getting used to, but we humans have weird body parts, too, and our pet rats don’t judge us for that."

Berger Martina Haeger, a short-haired calico
Owned by Joseph Edwin Haeger and family, of Spokane
"Berger should be in the Inlander because she is gorgeous, and as the photo clearly indicates, she has a lot of personality. She’s a proud lady and wants things her way and isn’t afraid to tell it how it is. In her free time you can find her snuggling up with her family or stealing entire sticks of butter from the kitchen. Sometimes you just have to treat yourself. She fancies herself a hunter, but I’ve never seen her catch more than a cat nap. She would be an ideal candidate for the Inlander’s Pet Issue."

Willow, the Nigerian dwarf goat
Owned by Corinne Morse, of Spokane
"This is Willow the Nigerian dwarf goat. She's about 10 years old and has lived all her days in the Spokane area. She deserves to be featured in the Inlander because she has lived a hard life, she has had many babies and was abused early in her life. We have had the pleasure of sharing our farm with her for the last year and could not imagine a sweeter girl. Don't tell the others, but she is my favorite goat."

Hodor, the Great Pyrenees
Owned by the Larson Family, of Deer Park
"Hodor is a Great Pyrenees and his heart is as big as he is. Hodor is a rescue; my husband bought him and his littermates from an individual who intended on killing them. We found good homes for the rest of the pack but couldn't bare to be without Hodor! He's always smiling as you can see from his picture and he knows several fun tricks including what we call "circus bear," where he sits on his back legs and pulls his front paws up to his chest while sitting as high as possible. It's his adorable way of asking politely for chest scratches. Hodor lives with us and many other pet buddies (including the baby silkie chicken in the picture) on 30 acres in Deer Park."

FattyCakes, the mini lop bunny
Owned by Breezy Moser, of Spokane
"FattyCakes should be featured in the Inlander because he is the most animated pet rabbit I've ever seen. His gentle nature and big personality keep me constantly snapping photos and taking videos. He loves running around the house and yard and going to the park to meet new people. His favorite snacks are basil and banana slices and he always tries to steal the Sour Patch Kids when I eat them. Fatty's best features are his curly hair on his head and feet and his love of snuggling and ear rubs."

Night Supervisor, the "Craigslist Persian"
Owned by Karen Mobley, of Spokane
"Job title: Night Supervisor at Cat Hair Enterprises
Passion: Advocating for the two hour work week
Age: Unknown, but he has exceeding maturity and a gimpy left hip that makes him hop kind of like a rabbit
Breed: Craigslist Persian
Hometown: Unknown. He did not come with papers. It appears he is an illegal alien.

Night Supervisor is a cat of great distinction. He has worked at Cat Hair Enterprises since July of 2017 when he was acquired from his previous owner and changed his name from Jawa to Night Supervisor. He was a used cat with good training and has fit right in at the corporation. He leads the night shift and is the chief union organizer for the cats. He has been celebrated on Karen Mobley's Facebook Page. He is a minor celebrity with a great personality. He is also handsome."

Margo, the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever
Owned by Ariana Kamaliazad, of Spokane
"Margo should definitely be in your Inlander issue because of her charm. She’s a gorgeous dog, obviously, but she is so much more than that: brave, adventurous, sassy, sweet and wicked smart. She is well known by her neighbors in Browne's Addition and at local breweries and restaurants in downtown Spokane."

Carol, the ragdoll cat
Owned by Jenna Ittner, of Spokane
"Carol should be showcased in the first Pet Issue of the Inlander simply because she's Carol. Carol plays fetch and we often find socks and underwear (particularly dirty underwear and socks) strewn about the house. Carol is generally very loving but can turn on you at any given moment; if you're not catering to her every need, she will draw blood. We can only attribute her feisty cattitude to her repressed anger issues from being ostracized by her previous owner who stated the cat 'tried to sleep on my baby's face.' After taking Carol in from off the streets, we deemed ourselves as winners — we found our forever cat. The end."

Zuki the shiba inu
Owned by Larry and Elizabeth Schroeder, of Newman Lake
"You might be lucky if you have seen Zuki in his sidecar with his human chauffeur Larry Schroeder, riding around Spokane with his doggles on for safety!"

Silas, the Old English sheepdog
Owned by Linda and Andrew Strong, of Colbert
"This is when Silas was two months old and weighed 15 lbs. He will be one year old on June 23 and now weighs 70 lbs. He is still a lapdog! Silas lives in Colbert and goes to work with us every day in Spokane. All of the people who take their daily walk around the office building have to stop by and say hi to Silas. His work is to greet and charm everyone who comes by.  He serves as the office de-stressor. Why should he be in the pages of the Inlander? Well, I’m biased, but he is the cutest puppy in the world! He is also an adorable adult. Like most Old English sheepdogs, Silas is a lovable clown. Everything is a game to him and he loves it when he makes his people laugh. It is hard to be in a bad mood when Silas is around."