If there's one thing that can change a meh day into a really sweet day, something that can't help but bring a smile to your face, it's looking at photos of pets.
At Inlander HQ, we look forward each year to seeing the outpouring of readers' pet photos submitted to our annual contest. I can assure you it's quite a gift to be the editor of this section. It's readily apparent that people in the Inland Northwest really respect and adore their companion animals, and a lot of you are pretty amazing photographers as well. So thanks for sharing your photos with us — we appreciated every single entry.
But since it's a contest, there have to be winners. Our Best in Show category consisted of the top five photos our judges chose from among all 14 submission categories. Read on to learn more about Best in Show winner Ellie, a golden retriever, and some of the other category winners as well. You can see all the outstanding category winners on page 28.
— ANNE McGREGOR, Pet Issue Editor
BEST IN SHOW
The winning portrait of Ellie, a golden retriever, enjoying some R&R on an Adirondack chair at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, had a lot going for it. There were the playful complementary blues and oranges of the lake scene, the nicely centered chair, but most of all, it was Ellie, with her big doggie smile and perfectly placed paws, that caught our eye. Clearly, the voters agreed that this was a special photo.Owner Kortney Thornburg says the photo, which looks as though it must have been staged with Ellie posing so elegantly on the chair, was actually just a snapshot. You see, Ellie loves to pose, and she really loves to sit on people-chairs.
"She hopped up on it herself because that's what she does. And she looked so cute, and I took a picture," Thornburg says. Ellie's been posing since she was a pup, and she loves having her photo taken, Thornburg says.
It's fitting that a dog who likes to spend time in front of the camera is a bit of a princess. Despite being a retriever, Thornburg says Ellie has an independent streak and turns her nose up at playing fetch.
"She does it how she wants to do it," Thornburg says. And what Ellie wants to do is "catch rocks."
"She likes to get rocks out of the river. She literally dives for rocks. She collects them. She'll put her whole body in, and she'll come out with a huge rock."
Ellie, who's now 4, shares her home with her young nephew, Odin, who does not share her love of rocks.
"She was kind of mad when we got him, but now they're buddies," says Thornburg, noting that Ellie also enjoys lying in the sun for hours, dining on restaurant patios and taking car trips. She recently floated the Coeur d'Alene River, in her own tube (linked to Thornburg's, of course) and sporting her own life jacket, though she spent much of the ride sitting with Thornburg. As a nurse, Thornburg says she's so impressed with Ellie's demeanor that she's considering training her as a therapy dog.
But in the more immediate future, Ellie and Odin are preparing for their biggest roles yet: Thornburg's getting married in September. The dogs will be there, of course, and dressed for the occasion: Odin will be wearing a tux, while Ellie will be decked out with flowers. (AM)
CUDDLY CATS
Readers chose this photo of Gertie with her dazzling green eyes as the best in our Cuddly Cats category. Gertie's owner Jess Varda's caption asserting that Gertie is "the best cat in the world!" may or may not have played a role in Gertie's victory. It probably didn't hurt that Varda is also a professional photographer.Varda writes that she adopted Gertie as a kitten from the Spokane Humane Society, where she works. "(Gertie) was a 4-month-old, under-socialized, very shy barn kitten... Her true personality began to show soon after she came home. She's silly, feisty, very intelligent and loves her adopted big brother Charlie."
Varda admits that Gertie is "very spoiled and loved by her mom and dad and frequently gets away with naughty behavior," such as stealing tortilla chips and cheese and running to hide under a bed.
In the winning photo, Gertie is playing in the backyard. "Although I believe in keeping cats indoors for their safety," Varda writes, "I have harness-trained mine so they can go out in the yard for enrichment, always supervised of course." (AM)
DAPPER DOGGIES
Trouble, a chi-weenie (chihuahua-dachsund) in a tux won readers' hearts and captured the win in the Dapper Doggies category."Trouble earned his name while he was a puppy and lived with some extended family while they were living in an apartment that pets were not allowed in," owner Marnie Taylor writes. "If the landlord found out he was there, there would be trouble."
Taylor says the landlord did indeed find out, and Taylor's (future) mother-in-law took Trouble into her home, where he became a trusty companion as she cared for her husband, eventually offering comfort and assistance when she became a widow. "She had hearing issues and when her phone would ring he would howl until she answered it. When someone came to the door, he would bark and let her know someone was there," Taylor writes.
Trouble next found a home with Taylor and her then-beau.
"After 10 years together, Jeff and I decided to make it legal and tie the knot. We had a very small ceremony in our backyard and knew Trouble had to be a part of it. Ringbearer seemed to be the best fit for him. We found the tuxedo that included a clasp that held the rings and it was perfect. (Yes he owns his tux, he didn't rent one. Truly dapper.)"
Now Trouble enjoys long, off-leash walks where he can run and check his pee-mail, snuggling with his owners and finding a sunny spot for a nap.
"Everyone that meets Trouble loves him," Taylor notes. "We love him so much. He brings joy to all we do, each day. I just can't share enough about our sweet boy! Trouble is no trouble at all!" (AM)
RESCUE RASCALS
After Amanda Davis' dog Stanley endured an epic journey to his forever-home in Spokane, he cruised to a win in the Rescue Rascals category."In 2022, Stanley found himself in a crowded shelter in Fresno, CA. The air conditioner went out at the facility during the summer and they didn't want to repair it, so several rescues came to pull the dogs out of the unsafe situation," Davis writes.
Stanley, listed as a Papillon/Pomeranian mix, flew to Oregon and then two volunteers drove him around the entire Northwest in search of a shelter that would take him in. He ended up at Thompson River Animal Shelter in Montana.
And then, Stanley got lucky.
"I had been searching for a smaller dog for a while and saw his photo on their website," Davis writes. "I drove three hours from Spokane without knowing much about him. When I got there, it took awhile for him to warm up, but he ended up coming home with us that day. He's been a great addition with a quirky personality and has definitely settled into his forever home."
Stanley is exuberant, though wary of strangers, and enjoys going to doggy day care once a week. Davis says his quirks include leading her around by her finger. "And when he's excited, he doesn't necessarily bark, but rather likes to let out a 'woo, woo, wooooo!'" (AM)
SILLY PHOTOS
Though this category bears the title of "Silly Photo," a more apt name would be "Swiftie Photo" now that Caity Harper's two cats have won with a photo of them dressed like Taylor Swift and her beau, Travis Kelce.Harper, a lifelong Taylor Swift fan, has been setting up photo shoots with Fen and Hellie since the two felines stole her heart in 2020, but the recent Taylor Swift pandemonium gave her the bright idea to do Swift-themed photo shoots with her cats.
"I've been a fan of hers since Debut," Harper says. "I saw her when she came to Spokane for her Fearless tour and saw her Eras Tour in Vegas last year."
On her Instagram account (@the.adfenturous.therapy.cat), Harper shares photo shoots she's done with Fen and Hellie since the moment she got them. But she has big plans for the future.
"I want to do a photo shoot for every single Taylor Swift era," she says. "We did Lover and the pun was 'Miss Meow-icana and the Heartbreak Purr-ince' It was so fun. I'll eventually do a photo shoot for every album."
If all goes well, she has an even bigger dream she'd like to fulfill.
"The ultimate goal is to be Taylor's cat nanny," she says. "I need to take pictures of her cats!" (MP)
SWEET SENIORS
Shelly Stevens says her cat Georgie was already a star before being chosen as the winner of the Sweet Seniors category. "He gets a lot of attention based on the way he looks and the way he walks. People go crazy when they see Georgie," she says.Georgie, short for George Burns, has a littermate, Gracie (of course), and both were kittens when Stevens rescued them from an abandoned house. While Stevens describes Gracie as smart and "a pure angel," Georgie is perhaps not the brightest and "has always been a prima donna."
For example, Stevens says he won't eat from a bowl on the floor, preferring to have his meals served in bed. "He relaxes a lot," Stevens says. "He's a cuddle bug. He would sit on your lap all the time if you'd let him."
And despite the fact that Georgie may not be the best-behaved cat around, he's not going anywhere. "Regardless of Georgie's many bad habits he is a pure joy to have in my life," Stevens says. (AM) ♦
