This year’s contest was one of our best yet, with plenty of competition for the title of Central Florida’s cutest pet. Now, it’s time to get to know the top three winners!
1st Place: Obsidian
Pet Parents: Melanie Naranjo and Mariano Figueroa
Community: Kissimmee
What are some of Obsidian’s favorite things? Obsidian loves bright, yellow tennis balls, spending time with other dogs at the dog park (specifically Meadow Woods Dog Park), and he absolutely loves any toy that squeaks.
How did you meet Obsidian? A lovely couple (Jonathan and Shannon Santiago) that is friends with my husband and I had a litter and gave us a call about wanting to give Obsidian to us. When we went to their house, they came out with Obsidian and we instantly fell in love! He came home with us at 3 months old, and he has been nothing but joy.
What is your favorite story with Obsidian? My favorite story with Obsidian would be when Obsidian met his brother. I convinced my friend to adopt his brother, Max. We set a date for them to reunite and when the day arrived, they both had a blast! They played a lot together and ended up falling asleep after a long day.
2nd Place: Nala
Pet Parent: Stephanie Fleischer
Community: MetroWest
What are some of Nala’s favorite things? Kong squeeze balls, going to Dogtopia to play with her fur friends, and being mom’s shadow and laying on her whenever possible.
How did you meet Nala? I got her from Orange County Animal Services last year. I was browsing shelter websites and came across her picture and instantly fell in love. I left work early one day before a long weekend to make it there before they closed. I asked to see her and the rest is history.
What is your favorite story with Nala? Nala has given me a lot of great memories over the past year. Nala and I go on walks all the time. Sometimes, the walks end up longer than expected. One walk, we were almost done but Nala was hot. We walked past an apartment complex that had a fountain in front of it. I thought she was going to get a sip of water from the fountain but instead, she jumped right in! She was so happy and didn’t want to get out. She looked like a hippopotamus the way she stayed in the water. After about 10 minutes, I was finally able to get her out and we finished our walk.
3rd Place: Akira
Pet Parents: Kamila and Rodrigo
Community: Azalea Park
What are some of Akira’s favorite things? Among Akira’s favorite things is playing with her ball, running around the yard and then taking a five-hour nap. When she wakes up, the first thing she does is bring the ball to you so you can throw it for her to get it. She loves attention, kisses and love. She is crazy about spending time with her other puppy friends and jumping with them back and forth.
How did you meet Akira? We wanted a dog with madness so we started searching the Internet and found Akira. We fell in love with those little eyes immediately, and we didn’t hesitate twice that she had to be with us. We immediately went to pick her up and, since that moment, she became the spoiled princess of the house.
What is your favorite story with Akira? When we went to the beach and toured new places, she loved digging holes all over the beach. We discovered new landscapes, camped out in front of the sea and ran a lot. I am sure it was one of her favorite adventures, too.