carley

When neighborhood resident Cori Dosset brought her rescue dog, Carley, home for the first time, the dog spent three days hiding under the kitchen table. The dog didn’t eat, play or sleep. But on the morning of the fourth day, “the real Carley emerged,” Dosset says, and she’s been a “maniac” ever since. Dosset found Carley through Lost Dog Rescue in Alexandria, Va., where she lived at the time. Dog and mistress moved to our neighborhood this past February. “She is much more than a pet. She is a companion, confidante, bedmate (against my better judgment) and bug eater,” Dosset says. She travels frequently for business, and friends tell her that Carley sits at the door and whines for hours after she leaves. “I get the same reception whether I’m gone to the grocery store or on a two-week business trip,” Dosset says.

Lose your job? Break up with the boyfriend? Blubbering over a sappy movie? Funny how that ever-present furry family member can fix the world with a big sloppy kiss some days. The Advocate this year received an unprecedented amount of entries into the annual Best Pet contest. Each submission, accompanied by photos and amusing anecdotes, confirmed the power of a pet’s unconditional love. Though we could highlight only a few in this magazine, the whole collection, which you can see on lakewood.advocatemag.com, had us oohing and ahhing, laughing and crying for days.