17-05-2025
Cane Corso With Strict Swim Routine Wins Pet of the Week
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
From the heartwarming moment a blind dachshund sensed his owner was home to a dog's adorable daycare photos, pet stories have been bringing delight this week.
But we also like to showcase our readers' pets in our weekly Newsweek Pet of the Week.
For your pet to be featured next week, follow the instructions at the end of this story to get involved.
Winner
Lucia the dog, enjoying her much-loved pool time.
Lucia the dog, enjoying her much-loved pool time.
Keith Bauer
This week's Pet of the Week is Lucia, a spirited puppy with a serious love of the water.
Born in January 2025, the Cane Corso quickly developed a serious swimming pool routine. "We spend an hour or two in the pool everyday and playing with our bubblers and retrieving in our pool are her favorite things to do," Lucia's owner Keith Bauer told Newsweek.
When she's not perfecting her pool skills, Lucia enjoys socializing at Bass Pro in Fort Myers, Florida. The busy store provides endless opportunities to meet new people—from curious children to friendly retirees—and Lucia thrives on the attention and affection.
Finalists
Retired greyhound Scooby Doo living his best life.
Retired greyhound Scooby Doo living his best life.
Sarah Jo Robinson
Our first finalist this week is Scooby Doo, a 6-year-old retired racing greyhound with a heart as big as his personality.
Blind since the age of 2, Scooby hasn't let it slow him down one bit. Adopted by owner Sarah Jo Robinson from Hounds of GRACE, a nonprofit that helps retired greyhounds find homes in Michigan and Ohio, Scooby quickly became a beloved member of the family.
"He loves his walks, runs races in his enclosed yard, and plays with the cat between naps," Robinson told Newsweek. "He's fearless, considers everyone he meets as a new friend, and is very affectionate."
Pebbles the dog, curled up under blankets.
Pebbles the dog, curled up under blankets.
Deborah Jackson
Next up this week is Pebbles, a lovable 7-year-old Yorkie-Maltese mix who brings joy and laughter to her family every day. She shares her home with brother BamBam, and while they're siblings, each have very different personalities.
"I am sharing a funny and sweet picture of Pebbles as soon as I finish making our bed," owner Deborah Jackson told Newsweek.
Barn cat Jalapeño, also affectionately known as Spicy.
Barn cat Jalapeño, also affectionately known as Spicy.
Eva H.
Last but not least is Jalapeño—affectionately known as Spicy—a striking barn cat with a heartwarming origin story.
Owner Eva H. and her family discovered him nestled in a lilac bush near their home when he was just 4 to 5 weeks old. At the time, they had been hoping for a sign that it was the right moment to adopt a barn cat—and there he was.
"He was so tiny, we kept him in a live trap with an old can of cat food that we managed to scrounge up," Eva told Newsweek. "From there, he matured and grew into a beautiful young male that loves having little photoshoots."
Today, Spicy rules his five-acre kingdom, chasing rodents, exploring high places and striking poses for the camera.
His favorite place though? Being snuggled up with this humans for cuddles. "He's my gorgeous boy," Eva said.
If you think your pet could be next week's Newsweek "Pet of the Week," send us your funny and heartwarming videos and pictures of your pet, along with a bit about them to life@ and they could appear in our "Pet of the Week" lineup.
