We told you they’d be back, although it took us long enough.
So, without further ado, our latest Good Pets culled from hundreds upon hundreds of submissions last spring.
Our latest edition covers the gamut of Good Pets goodness throughout the U.S. (Canada and Mexico, you are next) because everyone here loves their companions. And our readers have provided us with photos that will set your heart aflutter, bring a smile and a deep sigh of contentment.
Don’t believe us? Take five minutes to stroll through the photos. You’ll thank us. And so will your blood pressure because this is better than meditation.
So, let’s get started. Peruse and enjoy, then share the link with family and friends. The better the response, the quicker we get ready for the next edition.
Kimchi / Human: Katie Shiver / Huntsville, Alabama / Kimchi’s favorite spring activities include bird watching, taking afternoon naps in her window hammock, and going for walks in her stroller.
Bella / Human: Stacy Barnes / Sheridan, Arkansas / Bella is a sweet and lovable Blue Heeler who loves morning snuggle and playing outside – with supervision, of course. Even as a 4-month-old puppy, Bella is loyal and takes commands.
Buster / Human: Christy Zurga / Little Rock, Arkansas / Buster is the leader of the pack, a menagerie of pets rescued from the animal shelter.
Cooper / Human: Lisa Smith / Woodstock, Georgia / Cooper is an 8-year-old Corgi mix rescued as a baby. He always has one ear up and one ear down, and his blue eyes and ears draw attention from everyone we meet.
Zeus / Human: Sarah Joya / My year-old Dobi is very mischievous, smart and a great guard dog that never sleeps on the job – as you can see
Finny / Human: Tammy Guthrie / Hoover, Alabama / Finny is a big snuggle bunny. He’s almost 2 and weighs over 20 pounds. When he isn’t snuggling, he loves to look out the window at the birds. Finny is a master at opening doors and loves to play fetch with his favorite toys.
Gage / Human: Ashley Gonzalez / Houston, Texas / Gage is a hunter and loves the outdoors. He is full of energy, requires lots of attention and is loyal to his family! We love to go on adventures and so does he.
Harper / Human: Shannon Rogers / A 6-year-old yellow Lab, Harper came into my life during a difficult time: after losing my father to cancer she helped me through my grieving process. We take walks and play ball every day, we also swim as much as possible. She is the best!
Hazel Mae / Human: Kela Hartley / Elizabethtown, Tennessee / Hazel Mae loves to hunt and take naps! She even purrs like a cat when you rub her belly!
Henry / Human: Kenny Hill-Wright / Nashville, Tennessee / Henry will be 19 in a few months! He’s always been just the sweetest. Starts every day with morning kisses, still will run around and play when he’s feeling the moment. He can hear a bag of chips open from a mile away and has the nose – for food – of a Blood Hound!
Jackie / Human: Vivian R Musser / Franklin Kentucky / Jackie is a rescue. She just turned up at our house and we adopted her – or as my son would say, tamed her. She was a spicey kitten. Now grown, this Manx has no tail but she’s fluffy and soft but hates to be loved. She wants it on her terms.
Keley / Human: Isangela Castillo / At 14, Kelev loves to ride around and enjoy the breeze. He thinks bow ties are cool and loves to cuddle.
Loki and Joci / Human: Barrie Wood / Orlando, Florida / Our dynamic duo is dressed up with their pineapple Hawaiian outfits, all set for the Summer.
Loki / Human: Brandy Dixon / Milton, Florida / When he is not a god of Chaos he just melts. If you are ever in a meeting with me and you see eyes behind my head, it means Loki has melted on the back of my chair and is wondering who dared to wake him up.
Maddie / Human: Sheila Fondren / Birmingham, Alabama / Maddie is the first dog we have ever had in our family and the reason is because I have been fearful of dogs my entire life. When a dear friend introduced us to a litter of puppies who were abandoned and rescued, we were encouraged to go meet the litter. We laid eyes on Maddie and fell in love. That was May 2012, and she has been the most loving, enjoyable pet. And I am no longer afraid of dogs. Maddie opened the door to a whole new love that I didn’t know I needed. It is hard to know who rescued who.
Missie Mae / Human: Kelly Biddle / Paxton, Florida / Missie is a 3-year-old female Papipoo. She is a designer dog that is a cross between a papillon and a toy poodle. She loves to play outside and chase her ball. While she weighs in at only 5 pounds, she has a HUGE personality.
Mowgli / Human: Kim Bailey / Hoover, Alabama / A Shih Tzu rescued 8 years ago, Mowgli joins us for camping trips and works hard all day keeping all the squirrels at bay and away from our campsite. So, he is always worn out and loves to chill on his camping bed in the warmth of the sun with a couple of toys to keep him company.
Moxie / Human: Greta Wirey / Robinson, Illinois / She was 100 percent ready for totality during the solar eclipse. She adores her family, loves to play ball and despises the mailman. Haha!
Percy and Thesi / Human: Mackenzie Falls / Tuscaloosa, Alabama / We refer to these two as the "Twins." While they look nothing alike, they were born of the same litter and can often be found sitting in the exact same position. They are about 4 years old now. Percy loves hunting hair ties. She can most often be found opening drawers and cabinets to find and hoard all of my hair ties. Thesi is most often relaxing on his back in the comfiest place he can find.
River and Louie / Human: BobbiJo Young / Sweetwater, Tennessee / River is a 9-year-old Chocolate Lab and Louie is a 4-month-old French Bulldog. My pets are the most loving dogs and have a special bond with my children. River is our gentle giant who lets my 2-year-old son lay on her and sit on her back. Louie is our playful pup who loves to play tug of war and turns our living room into a racetrack when the zoomies kick in.
Santa’s Lil’ Helper / Human: Kevin Koestler / Hoover, Alabama / Santa’s Lil’ Helper is an Italian Greyhound (miniature Greyhound) that loves to sit on any porch in the sun (like she is doing in this photo😉).
Schmidty / Human: Jessica Saylor; Holly Springs, North Carolina / Schmidty was a stray that we found over 10 years ago. Now he loves nothing more than basking in the sun and feeling the cool breeze while his human works in the garden.
SunShine / Human: Christine Jones / Knoxville, Tennessee / A Cha- Winnie, SunShine is not only one special pup, but she’s also one of the girls. She will bring the sunshine into a cloudy day with her great personality!
Taffy / Human: Danielle Zagrev / Pineville, Louisiana / Taffy is a 2-year-old Feist. She is a foster fail that I fell in love with and could not part with! She had a very rough start in life but has come out of her shell and happens to be Nova’s best friend and playmate. She is very energetic and playful but is also a lap dog once you sit on the couch to relax.
Tiny / Human: Maggie Johnso / Carbondale, Illinois / Tiny is a full diva. She demands snuggles every morning and loves being held and picked up (she calls it “uppies”). There is a hole in her love tank, so she needs it to be constantly topped off. But don’t let her fool you, she is a Machiavellian stone-cold killer when it comes to catching mice, lizards, and insects.
Wilbur / Human: Ranae Moss Givens / Franklin, Tennessee / Wilbur is 12 years old and is my adopted rescue pug. He has had my heart since day one. He loves all food – especially tomatoes, marshmallows, and jellybeans. He loves to play with tennis balls and loves that his mom has a friend with 6 tennis courts, so a never-ending supply of tennis balls.
Zeek / Human: Matthew Tennery / Spring, Texas / Zeek is a blue heeler. He can occasionally be found out of breath after working hard tearing up his blanket (to turn it into a scarf, of course) and chasing squirrels.
Kiwi / Human: Andy Noble / Montevallo, Alabama / Kiwi is a 20-year-old Congo African Grey. He likes to talk and mimic noises around the house.
Max / Human: Brooke Williams / Troy, Alabama / Max was rescued when he was 12 weeks old. He loves squeaking his toys, playing fetch and finding muddy puddles. He’s a good boy… most of the time.
Malika / Human: Marcie Larios / Humble, Texas / Malika came into my life after the passing of my mother. What makes her special is her character and the love she shares with all. She loves fashion and stylish hair.
Mabel / Human: Gabby Murphy / Covington, Tennessee / This is Mabel! She loves exploring outside and meeting us on the porch when she is ready to come back inside.
Lucy / Human: Cara Parker / Naples, Florida / Lucy is a new member of our family as we rescued her at just 4 months old. She is a Golden doodle and turned 1 years old on Christmas Day 2023. She loves tormenting her older brother, Deuce, and frolicking in circles around the backyard to get all the wiggles out!
Louie / Human: Brillid Valdez / Frankfort, Indiana / Louie loves to play with Layla and run around all day long. They absolutely love going for car rides and pup cups!
Linus / Human: Stephanie Wires / Jasper, Alabama / This 4-year-old German Shepherd is loveable goof. In this photo, he got into his dad's diet sodas and had his first taste of caffeine, which he did not need.
Layla / Human: Brillid Valdez / Frankfort, Indiana / Layla and housemate Louie love to play with each other and run around all day long. They absolutely love going for car rides and pup cups!
Kosmo and Nova / Human: Karla Rodriguez / Canton, Georgia / Kosmo (left) and Nova (right) are full of energy, adventures and loving.
Kojak / Human: Heather Alvarez / Diamondhead, Mississippi / Kojak loves to bathe in the sun. He will seek out a sunny spot to lay and soak in. He is the most loyal dog and knows when it’s time for me to stop working. He’ll then greet me at my office and coax me to the porch, where he sits patiently watching for my son and husband to come home from work.
Zeus / Human: Sarah Joya / My year-old Dobi is very mischievous, smart and a great guard dog that never sleeps on the job – as you can see
Watson / Human: Svetlana Gotra / Watson is a 6-month-old boxer. He is my daughter’s dog, so I call him my grand-dog. When he wants something, he gives the best puppy eyes in the neighborhood. He is a full-of-energy and mischievous puppy.
Suki / Human: Grant Masters / Frankfort, Indiana / This is my puppy Suki, a Shiba Inu and a new addition to my family. We love her so much and she has such a big personality! As you can see, she likes to take her naps perched on top of the couch. She also does a little dance when I get home from work!
Simba / Human: Yoseline C. Castellanos / Athens, Georgia / Simba is a sweet heart. He love to play ball. His hobby is sleeping upside down, and when he sees you he will jump as high as he can.
Salem / Human: Mackenzie Falls / Tuscaloosa, Alabama / Salem is our little knight. He is about 7 years old. He loves to bask in the sun and watch us from the highest point in the house he can find. He is the oldest of our five pets, and he absolutely acts like an older brother!
Rusty / Human: Jeff Vanderver / Vestavia Hills, Alabama / Rusty is a very loving pet that always brighten the day! As a 15-pound Cavapoo, he enjoys long naps, eating anything and everything in sight, stealing the entire bed, and playing with his favorite “Pink Bear.” He’s very special to our family as he has given us many laughs and wonderful moments over the last few years. Truly a best friend!
Rosie / Human: Cameron MacLennan / Charlotte, North Carolina / Rosie recently underwent knee surgery.
Reynaldo / Human: Terrie Wofford / Elllijay Georgia / Reynaldo is cute, quiet and very low maintenance! (And he was a gift from my daughter-in-law.)
Reese / Human: Gabby Murphy / Covington, Tennessee / A 3-year-old Tortoiseshell cat, Reese likes to sleep in odd places and sit in the window sills.
Red / Human: Dustin Fox / Gadsden, Alabama / Red's a former stray who has spent the last 10 years sneaking off with entire loaves of bread, demanding just one more chin scratch, and being the best girl.
Ranni / Human: Dawn R Hyde / Panama City Beach, Florida / Ranni is our Plot Hound baby, and she is nothing but pure energy and fun. She loves to have the Zoomies, cuddles and running around with balls and freezbies. She is constantly learning new things and has impressed us with her overly dramatic tricks of spinning, getting down with attitude and over-the-top kisses
Nova / Human: Danielle Zagrev / Pineville, Louisiana / Nova is a 5-year-old pure bred Australian Shepherd that is super playful! He loves to catch frisbees & chase after birds in the sky that are flying over his yard.
Mulchie / Human: Rebekah McCombs / Birmingham, Alabama / Mulchie’s enjoying the recent Irish Festival in Hanceville, Alabama, her first big social outing. She loves playing with kids and other pets.
Alfie / Human: Sage Ellis / Birmingham, Alabama / Alfie is a 1-year-old Great Dane that loves car rides! Wherever I'm going he's ready to tag along.
Angus / Human: Christy Zurga / Little Rock, Arkansas / Angus is the most welcoming member of the pack of rescue dogs.
Aubie / Human: Ashley Beverly / Birmingham, Alabama / Aubie is 16-year-old Shih tzu/Jack Russell mix. I inherited Aubie from my brother in 2021 after he passed away from COVID. Aubie brought so much unexpected joy and love to our home and has the sweetest demeanor. Everyone loves him the instant they meet him!
Bear / Human: Jennifer Isenberg / Ackworth, Georgia / Bear is a retriever mix who just graduated from puppy training. He is a loving pup and believes in taking naps often, especially on car rides.
Bella Rose / Human: Terra Harris / Birmingham, Alabama / Bella Rose is the life of the party, no matter the season! She’s super friendly and never meets a stranger.
Blue / Human: Holly Stevenson / Cornelia, Georgia / Blue is a 2-year-old Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) and loves wrangling up his human “siblings,” carrying around sticks he enjoys hitting people with, and playing in the mud.
Callie and Penny / Human: Mackenzie Falls / Tuscaloosa, Alabama / Callie is 3 years old and Penny is almost 2. Both of these babies are rescues that bring so much light to our home. These two are best friends and can usually be found snuggled on the couch together.
Chance / Human: Jennifer Speer / Trenton, Tennessee / At 5 years old, he was a rescue found on the side of the road. Chance loves to be outside playing with his ball.
Chewbacca / Human: Lance R Young / Union City Tennessee / Chewbacca is a very special dog because he also thinks he is a Meerkat. He’s also a pretty good Rook player.
Coco / Human: Jackie Shaw / Gulfport, Mississippi / Is this not the most loveable face you’ve ever seen?
Cooper / Christy Zurga / Little Rock, Arkansas / A Tabby, Cooper is one of three rescues who make this house a home.
Eerie and Freyja / Humans: Myke Roeschlein and Kristen Huth, Houston, Texas / Despite her large appearance, Freyja (the Sunset Hypo Hog Island Boa in the bottom photo) still loves a good snuggle! Freyja and her little sister Eerie, a Ferrari Pastel Ghost Boa, have created a bond even with their size and breed difference. They are both incredibly emotionally intelligent and are hyper aware and attached to their owners.
Freya / Human: Gabby Murphy / Covington, Tennessee/ This is Freya, our bully, when she was 8 weeks old. She loves car rides, swimming, and cuddles.
Georgia / Human: Janet Soto / This is Georgia. She is my sweet 9-year-old Boykin Spaniel. Georgia enjoys the outdoors and lots of belly rubs.
Georgie / Human: Kelly Kaiser / St. Peter’s, Missouri / A black-and-tan, long-haired dachshund named Georgie (girl), she was bred in Arkansas and came to me at the age of 6 weeks. She is now 4 years old, and she is definitely an outdoor dog. She loves swimming and boating at Lake of The Ozarks, loves playing in the snow and loves hiking with me and my friends.
G / Human: Katherine Schablow/ Birmingham, Alabama / G loves the outdoors so much that he needed his own camping tent for naps indoors after long days of playing outside in the sunshine!
Chanel / Human: Amber Minaya / Charlotte North Carolina / Chanel is younger than his house sibling, Gucci.
Gucci / Human: Amber Minaya / Charlotte North Carolina / Another rescue, Gucci is older than Chanel and loves leading the way.
Harper / Human: Alana Maxwell / Birmingham, Alabama / Harper is a 4-year-old Labrador Retriever that loves to go on adventures, play fetch and bask in the sun.
Hazel / Human: Christy Zurga / Little Rock, Arkansas / A Tortoiseshell cat, Hazel showed up this spring and made herself a part of the family.
Honey Bear / Human: Kelly Lowenhagen / Charlotte, North Carolina / Honey Bear turned 10 years old recently! Her hobbies include shopping trips to Home Depot, belly rubs and being the center of attention.
Izzy / Human: Ashley Thomas / Birmingham, Alabama / Isadora “Izzy” is queen of the castle! And with Spring approaching she loves playing outside, whether its fetch or barking at the neighbor’s dog. Izzy is a Biewer Terrier, and the first bred was in Germany in 1984. They are basically tri-colored Yorkies 😊
Jax / Human: Griffin Higginbotham / Charlotte, North Carolina / He’s faster than a speeding bullet and he guards the house from squirrels, rabbits and mailmen (bill collectors.)
Kevin / Human: Shannon Conners / Baton Rouge, Louisiana / This is my rescue dog, Kevin. He is the sweetest coach potato who loves to snuggle and nap in a sunbeam. His only dislike is cats!
Bacon / Human: Amanda Coats / Butler, Alabama / Bacon is a Kune kune pig, but I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s a dog. Bacon enjoys eating strawberries, stealing cat food from the kitties, and splashing in his piggie pool.
Puck and Letty / Human: Allison Parker / Gadsden, Alabama / White-and-brown Puck was the sweetest boy that my husband and I rescued when we first started dating back in 2013. He passed in August 2023, at 10 years old, of congestive heart failure, and having Letty when he passed helped us to cope with his loss. But before he left us, he helped us with Letty. She came to us in May 2022 and was hiding out and living under our house. Puck helped her learn to trust us, and really helped her how to learn to be a puppy. She now is a happy, fun-loving girl.
Mario / Human: Daniel Wood / Milton, Florida / Mario is full of energy. He loves running outside or sitting on the couch watching TV with his human.
Lord Winston Wigglebottoms / Human: Lacie Ferry / Ellijay Georgia / He is a sweet boy that we rescued about a year ago. He LOVES car rides, playing with his toys and relaxing with his humans.
Levi and Luna / Human: Tamika Holder / Union City, Tennessee / What makes my fur babies special is that they apologize when they get in trouble. As soon as you tell them no or stop that, they immediately go straight to your face to give kisses. They are very different from one another but at the same time they are just alike in how sweet and loving they both are!
Leo / Human: Kristen Chaffin / Birmingham, Alabama / Leo is a Golden Retriever/Yellow Labrador mix and is 6 years old. He LOVES toy dinosaurs and has quite the collection (3 shown in the attached picture). While most dogs would take any human food provided, Leo is actually quite picky. He does not like potatoes (in any form), pretzels or chips, but he does have a sweet tooth and loves ice cream!
Charlie / Human: Stephanie Boik / Coral Gables, Florida / He is a warm-hearted, super energetic, loyal companion with a bit of a silly side. ❤
And when you’re done, take a few minutes to enjoy these blasts from the past: