This is Callie. She was found by our local pound at 6 weeks of age inside of a plastic bag. Despite this rough start to life, she has grown into the most loving dog around. She makes sure that nobody ever feels lonely and loves to sneak kisses or even give suprise wet willies to unsuspecting guests. She has given me a lot and I hope to always be able to give her the care she deserves which is why I signed her up for Trupanion soon after getting her. I keep getting all the kisses and unconditional love I could ask for, and feel good knowing I have done all I can to make sure it lasts for as long as possible!

Wow that is such an incredible story. Thank you so much for rescuing Callie and giving her a much better life, Amanda!

Nominate your pet for Pet of the Week by clicking here!

At what age did your children become pet owners?

How cute are these pictures? Do you have children and pets who get along this well?

Leah, shared by Jessica S.

Holly, shared by Melissa V.

Cooper, shared by Tania H.

Gus, shared by Madeleine S.

We love the proud displays of reindeer antlers on these dogs who are ready for the holidays!

Here are some of our favorite responses:

Graeter and Tristan

My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Tristan’s favorite thing is to ride in Graeter’s my Bernese Mountain Dog’s decorated Christmas Cart ! -Cathi D.

Yogi

I am going to have to say his favorite thing about the holidays is wrapping paper. He loves to try to attack it while I am wrapping gifts and he just found out the joy of having lots of paper on the floor to use for his confetti making business (which I swear he is planning to open) as a group of friends exchanged gifts recently. Oh the joy a pile of paper brings to my pup! -Laura F.

My dogs favorite thing about the holidays is SANTA!!!!!! -Rayna P.

We give them a special tweet on Christmas Eve at midnight and we thank them for being good and faithful friends. – Kelly Ann T.

My dogs love that they’re the center of Christmas. They get the most treats and presents. My parents dog loves hamsters that move and my pug just like treats, treats, treats! -Treania W.

Duke, my pet Doberman’s, favourite thing to do is unwrap all of his and others’ presents from under the Christmas tree while I’m sleeping. He proceeds to destroy some of them, and force me to re-wrap others! But then he looks at me with a ribbon taped to his cheek and wrapping paper lodged in his lips… and all I can do is laugh. -Sep B.

We have about 25 dogs and the occasional cat in the office on a daily basis, so we thought it would be fun to include them in our holiday celebrations this year. Anyone who was interested in the exchange put their pet’s name and info into a hat to be drawn by another pet owner.

Check out what they got:

Figgy snuggling with her new toy

Bandersnatch playing with her new squeak toy

Papaya checking out what's in the bag!

Papaya and Lotte's loot

Ellie about to open her gift

Ellie's gifts

Ukiah and her new squeak toy

Brynn and her cupcake

Wednesday and Figgy wish you a Merry Christmas!

Social Channels Manager Stacy Kowalchuk was quoted in the article, providing thoughtful advice on who else Santa should consider protecting:

He also should consider insuring his dog and Mrs. Claus’ cat, says Stacy Kowalchuk, social media manager at pet health insurance company Trupanion.

“You never know if one of them might sneak some of Santa’s cookies and get gastrointestinal upset, or experience a broken leg hopping from house to house,” Kowalchuk says. “Pet insurance helps protect against those expensive veterinary bills that may arise from an unexpected accident or illness.”

Some of the other types of insurance the article said Santa would need include home insurance (for the harsh North Pole weather), workers’ compensation insurance (to protect all those hard-working elves), disability insurance (in case Santa becomes unable to perform his duties and someone else has to step in), and travel insurance (since he is traveling around the world).

Read the full story at InsuranceQuotes.com and tell us what you think!

Our talker Angel

Our dog Teddy the picture on the [right] was pet of the week last year in October and it brought tears to my eyes.  Teddy passed away 3 years this December before Christmas. Teddy was a pet rescue at four months old we adopted Teddy and enjoyed the years we had with him.  Teddy is sadly missed.

Teddy My Love

Later we adopted Angel the picture [above] from Dog Deserve a Second Chance.  When we brought Angel home at 7 weeks old I brought him to the Vet to make sure everything was alright with his health.  Angel had two parasites that would have killed him if left untreated.  Vet put Angel on medicine and Angel is now 2 years old and quite a talker.  I dread to think if we had not adopted Angel he would not be here today.  Angel makes me smile and has helped me deal with the lost of our dog Teddy.

Please remember the dogs who need homes that will eventually be very ill or be put to sleep that no one wants.  They are important too.

Thanks, Madeline for introducing us to Angel! Teddy will always be remembered but I’m glad that Angel was rescued into a loving home!

Sage is my 5 year old BullBoxer (pitty x boxer) She is the most energetic fun loving attention seeking dog I have ever met. Her character alone makes people completely adore her, she is part of my family and many others, she even has her own facebook page.

She will only sleep snuggled up to her mommy and daddy. Favorite toy is anything that squeaks so she can tear the squeak out of it. Her nicknames are a ridiculously long list lol! Sagey Rae, Snowface, Gorgy(gorgeous), baby girl, snookie, sweetbottom oh the list can go on and on! Her favorite treats are marrow bones and beggin strips.

She sings along with the radio and my phone when it rings her howl is the cutest thing ever and to contain her you would need an 8 foot fence cause she is apparently part kangaroo as well, she climbs and jumps over fences to play with neighbor kids and dogs. She is my everything and the love she gives back is the greatest thing I could ask for. She makes me smile and laugh constantly!

Sage is SO cute and it sounds like she has such a fun personality! Thanks for sharing these adorable photos, Ashley!

I’m thankful for my lil’ guy Abner. He reminds me that no matter how bad things get you can still have fun with something as simple as a plastic bag ♥ -Meaghan B.

Hoyt is our beloved 9month on Standard Poodle. He is the most calm and loving dog we have ever known. He is wonderful with our 4 yr old daughter; they play endlessly together. Our daughter tells us that Hoyt is her best friend - and this is why we are so thankful. It should also be mentioned that Hoyt was diagnosed with IMHA at the age of 8months, and thanks to us having Trupanion Insurance, he is responding fantastically to treatment. We are so thankful! -Amanda W.

He has saved my life. in time of great grief & loss. Been there. Comfort when I am sad or sick. He loves me unconditional. He is my best friend. My Cat Winston. My furry orange 13.5 lb tabby. -Rosie R.

I am thankful for my dogs every day. Not only do they give me a reason to get out of bed (literally, they love morning walks), they also light up my day with their hilarious antics. Jack loves to cuddle (getting his fur on everything!), and Spike loves to talk (in the way only huskies can!). They make me smile when I am sad, and join in my joy when I am happy. And at the end of the day, they keep my toes warm when they fall asleep at the foot of my bed. -Meghan M.

My Ginger makes me laugh when I’m down, comforts me when I’m not well, plays with me after work, and gets me off the couch to go outside. I couldn’t ask for a better friend ♥♥♥ -Nik M.

I've been through a lot over the past two years and the one thing that has stayed the same is the unconditional love I get from Hurley. Hurley and I are attached at the hip. I couldn't imagine life without her. -Teegan S

My lab is almost human.She knows what I talk about to her and she is very sensitive to my moods.She senses when I don’t feel well and she lies down by my chair,she knows by the way I dress that I am going to work and she gets all sad looking.Some people say dogs don’t understand what you say,but they are wrong. If you talk to your dog every day for eight years they become very intelligent,more so than some people. -Patti Anne

My Westie Daisy, is the best pet ever. She was my first baby when I was just 14 years old...Daisy inspired me not only to be kind and loving but to try to help as many animals as I can. I'll never forget the way she looked at me with her pretty brown eyes, and when I was upset she would bring me her "Ted" her favorite stuffed animal bear. Today is her 10th birthday (11/21/11), her first birthday without me, but at least I know my baby has her older sister to protect her in Heaven. -Katie M.

I am thankful for my mastiff Brody! He came into my life just when I needed him. I had just lost my American Bull a few weeks before. I wasn’t looking for him, when I found him, but he was certainly looking for me. He was in a nyc shelter scheduled to be destroyed b/c of his eye problems. It’s really true what they say “Who rescued who”. Truly thankful for him in my life. He is a wonderful sweet baby. He just had his second and final eye surgery and can now see the world. -Brenda M.

I am thankful that Stella still has purrs and cuddles for us after a kidney removal and almost a year of almost weekly blood tests and sub-q fluids while trying to figure out what is going on with her! And I am also thankful to Trupanion Insurance so that we are financially able to get Stella the care she needs and deserves! -Karen S.

We hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Trupanion!