Zoe the singing rescue dog wins Pet of the Week

There’s no business like show business in the latest edition of Newsweek Pet of the Week, with big names and star talents topping the bill.

It’s been another busy week in the world of pets, with one daring dachshund’s escape from a pack of coyotes hitting the headlines, along with a story about a bride enjoying a special wedding day photo shoot with her cat.

Elsewhere, a dog ended up having to break up a fight between two cats in footage that has to be seen to be believed.

However, the main event concerns the fabulous foursome that makes up our Pet of the Week finalists. The quartet features a singing dog, a cat named Buster Keaton, a dog named Chaplin and a cat that loves giving her owner’s dog back rubs.

Remember, if you have a pet you’d like to see in the spotlight, head to the bottom of the page for information on how to submit your entries.

The Winner

This week’s Pet of the Week is Zoe, a rescue dog who lives with her owner, Helen Seery, and her family in Tucson, Arizona, in the winter months.

Seery told Newsweek that Zoe was in a bad way when she was found roaming around the school where her daughter works. “She was extremely underweight and had a serious food aggression problem and attacked our daughter’s other dogs,” she said. “But instead of taking her to be euthanized at the shelter, she asked us to take her.”

Seery said it took “a little while” to curb Zoe’s aggressive tendencies, which most likely stemmed from her life as a stray. But after gaining some much-needed weight, she was soon comfortable mixing with their other dogs during chow time.

Very little is known about Zoe’s life before her rescue, but Seery guesses she is about 8 years old. What is apparent, however, is that she is quite the talker. In fact, she’s quite the singer too. “Zoe loves to sing when my husband plays his trumpet or puts coyotes howling on TV,” she said. “She is so sweet and has this great clown-like personality.”

She is also a lover of naps in the shade, TV time and dog biscuits from her human “dad.” Seery is convinced Zoe “thinks she’s a Chihuahua” and acts accordingly. Chihuahua or not, she’s fully deserving of this week’s award.

The Finalists

The first of our finalists is BB the cat, who hails from Peoria, Arizona, where she resides with her owner, Sandy. She’s an adorable 5-year-old domestic longhair, and Sandy has cared for her since she was “just a day old,” feeding her as a kitten with a bottle.

“Her favorite thing is to nap and cover herself with a blanket. She also likes grooming Bindi, my dog,” Sandy said, and gives him back rubs. “My favorite thing about her is how she talks to me and looks at me with her big, beautiful eyes.”

Next up there’s Chaplin, a smartly dressed 12-year-old Maltipoo who lives in Norwalk, Connecticut, with his owner, Maggie McDonald. A sweet, affectionate canine, Chaplin loves to cuddle up with his stuffed animals, “especially Donkey,” and is a much-cherished companion, McDonald said.

“My favorite thing about Chaplin is he’s a goof. Even after 12 years together, he makes me laugh every day,” she said. “He loves everyone—children, adults and other dogs in the neighborhood.”

Last but by no means least, there’s Buster Keaton, a 4-year-old cat named after the silent films star, who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. His owner, Jennifer Flagg, said her feline friend “loves to lay on his momma’s soft tummy and on the back of her chair.” But he is no slouch and often keeps his human companions on their toes with his antics around the house.

“He loves to make mousy soup, do zoomies around the house and throw his toys around in the air,” Flagg said. “He is also very smart, and he has learned how to throw a ball around. Described as “Momma’s companion pet,” Buster Keaton is only too happy to shower her with hugs and kisses. It sounds as if he’s very much the star of the house.