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This is your last week to vote for Greta in the All American Pet Brands' Cutest Dog Competition. We didn't win last week, but did score about 135 votes, which was more than the week before. Thanks for that.

We've been competing for the past seven weeks against dogs across the nation for a weekly prize of $500, and then a chance at a bigger prize of $1 million. Locally, we've been competing against Fox 8 reporter Roxanna Haynes' miniature schnauzer Layla (and we've kicked her tail every week).

Roxanna and I both said at the beginning of the competition that if Greta or Layla were to win any prize money, it would be donated to the Guilford County Animal Shelter. 

It's the last week to make your vote count. Please vote every day. 

To vote for Greta, click here.

Punch was rescued from a life on a chain by one of the volunteers at the SPCA of the Traid. He's a male hound/shepherd mix, about 9 months old and is full grown at almost 40 lbs. Punch has a medium length black and brown coat, that he loves to have scratched. He'll lean to one side to let you scratch him some more. In love with any kind of toy, he’s got a lot of energy and is a little stubborn, but he’s learning his inside manners quickly. He has lots of love and really enjoys the care and attention from humans. The adoption fee is $95. Information about him and others, plus the adoption application: www.triadspca.org/page04.html or 375-3222.

For more available pets, please see the Records each Wednesday and Sunday in the News & Record.

It is two weeks until November, and it's starting to get a little cold outside. Yes, a little. I'm from Pennsylvania, so 60 degree weather is comfortable. My cats, on the other hand, have come to deal with these days until it dips into the high 50s (during the day) and the heat goes on.

Cats are warm temperature animals. They like the sun and the warmth, either by laying in your sunny window or on your lap to get your warmth. But my cats have built up a healthy tolerance for the cold. They have to since I control the thermostat.

Apple prefers to snuggle into her bed, barely a part of her exposed. Abbey seeks out my bed, delving under the covers or digging a hole to snuggle in to. Julian just finds me.

Libby, on the other hand, is not used to this. Living with Bruce and his love of the heat, she's been living a warm existence of low 70 degree weather all year round. Now, I find her curled into a tiny ball on her favorite chair, keeping her ears carefully protected from the outside air.

Another way my cats have prepared for the winter: Their coats have doubled. Each cat looks as if he/she has put on a good five pounds. It's just all hair. Their coats have gotten thick and dense. They will lose it in the spring, much to my delight in hours of running the vacuum.

So for all the enjoyment I get from the cold weather, it'll haunt me come spring.

Name of pet: Fuzzy Feet

Age: Born April 11

Resides in: Guilford County

Breed: Buff Cochin

Male or female: Female

Owner: Chris and Deanna Daughtry

How owner and pet came together: McMurray Hatchery

Best trick: She brings us breakfast

Favorite activity: Hanging with the girls

Is there anything else we should know about this pet? (i.e., likes/dislikes, act of heroism, quirk etc.) She likes organic feed, perches, time in the grass and being pet. She dislikes fast movement and loud noises.

Credit for photograph: Stan Gingerich

If you would like your pet(s) to be considered for the weekly My Pet feature, fill out this form.

This is Yoshi's raincoat. Doesn't he look handsome? He loves to wear it. When I take it out of the closet, he sits patiently for me to put it on him. When he got outside with it on he started galloping he was that excited. Ha! On our walk we ran into Yoshi's girlfriend Midnight. So he got to show off his coat for her. I think she liked it.  

Greta has a new favorite toy: a pink ball. It's her new Rufus.

Rufus was her very favorite toy way back when. Before Cassie, before her world was turned upside down. Rufus was just a Food Lion toy that I picked up to replace Reggie, a stuffed toy that Margaret, fellow Pet Shop blogger, had bought Greta when we first adopted her. Greta loved Reggie so much that he just fell apart. So we needed a good replacement toy. I picked up this toy at Food Lion and Greta loved it so much. She played with it all the time, chewing it, playing fetch with it, she knew it by name. (My husband named it Rufus). But she never destroyed Rufus.

Eventually Rufus started to fall apart on his own and luckily Food Lion still carried the same toy, so I bought a replacement Rufus. She didn't seem to notice the difference and went on playing the same as usual. I took a series of pictures called "Ode to Rufus" of her playing with Rufus in the grass one day. 

But then Cassie came along, and Cassie would fight Greta for Rufus. We didn't stick up for Greta and Rufus, unfortunately. And he didn't survive the battles. Food Lion didn't carry the toy anymore either. Since that day, Greta hasn't had a favorite toy.

But she's torn through quite a few. Infamously, she beheaded a childhood toy of mine. A stuffed witch. Greta tore into my box of Halloween decorations, and didn't touch a single item except that witch.

I had great intentions of teaching my bordie collie to catch a frisbee. Greta and Cassie had other ideas.

Last Christmas, Margaret gave both my dogs stuffed reindeers, Greta's didn't last very long. 

But a couple weeks ago, we found a pink ball under our couch. It wasn't ours. We think it belonged to Sophie, the dog we watched awhile back. I threw it in the middle of the floor to see which dog liked it, and Greta immediately took to it. And amazingly enough, she wasn't able to destroy it.

I've been keeping it in the house only, because we've found that the backyard is like a graveyard for toys. But when she comes inside, she immediately wants it and she licks it and chews on it and curls up with it and protects it from Cassie. When she goes outside to use the bathroom, she holds it in her mouth. And last night, she cuddled up on her dog bed and fell asleep with it by her side. It was the cutest thing.

I think we've found her new Rufus. 

Some good news about Susie the burned puppy! She is close to being adopted. Sixty people have signed up to adopt her. The Guilford County Animal Shelter will do an interview screening process with each applicant in order to find Susie the perfect home.

Read more here. 

There is an adorable beagle named Jake that lives down the street from us. I just think he's the cutest thing. He's never on a leash, which worries me because I don't want him to get hit by a car on our busy street, but one good thing about him being off leash is he loves to tag along on our morning walks with Yoshi. It's pretty cute to watch. Jake is so interested in everything Yoshi does. If Yoshi stops, Jake stops. If Yoshi sniffs something, Jake sniffs it too. Jake will walk right next to Yoshi until he gets distracted by a squirrel in a bush and then darts into someone's yard. Beagles are hunters and explorers.

So this has been going on for a few weeks. Now when we walk Yoshi in the morning, I always hope that Jake is outside waiting for us at the end of the driveway so we can pick him up along the way. Too cute. I'm thinking about grabbing an extra leash and taking him the whole way with us, if my neighbor is okay with that. Then again, maybe Jake the explorer wouldn't like being confined to a leash.

Bingo is an adorable and energetic 10-month-old terrier mix who weighs 20 pounds and is neutered. He loves treats and loves to play with other dogs. He was born around Jan. 1 and will be a fun addition to any home. Meet Bingo and his friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays at the Next Step Adoption Center, 705 Milner Drive, Greensboro. Information: 574-9600 or www.arfpnc.com.

For more availabe pets, see the Records each Wednesday and Sunday in the News & Record.