Today in #CHEDNation. Listener Pam texts in (welcome) praise for veterinarians thru #COVID19, and it reminds me of @RichardStarke’s 2018 #ableg Member’s Statement re: benefit of animals - . We air it, and the next thing you know, we’re FLOODED w/ pet pics.

Like our good boy Moses - currently featured in this month’s @AvenueEdmonton: https://www.avenueedmonton.com/city-life/meet-the-dogs-of-edmonton/ - I’m not afraid to bite off more than I can chew. So, I committed to tweeting out some of the best pet pics submitted by our listeners...

I’m happy to tell you I’ve managed to narrow the list down to...thirty. #CHEDNation loves its animals!

I’ve got some difficult (and totally subjective) decisions to make. In a moment, I’ll present today’s Top Ten Pet Pics, as submitted by @630CHED listeners. #yegpets #yegdogs

Forget Top Ten. I could deliberate all day trying to narrow down this list. Let’s get to it. I proudly present the Top Fifteen #CHEDPetPics, as submitted by our amazing listeners, in no particular order. Vote with your likes: most votes wins a #JespoMug for their human companion!

15. Liesl the beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog was @RichardStarke’s best buddy right up until her passing in April of 2018. Her legacy led to Dr. Starke’s #ableg Member’s Statement re: benefit of animals (link in this thread), and untimely prompted this very list of #CHEDPetPics!

14. Gertie (the Small Munsterlander) is the very best big sister to her sweet human Maggie. She’s even teaching Maggie how to share! #CHEDPetPics

13. “Kitty and the Wolf” was the caption submitted with this photo. We’ve been assured everything worked out for both parties involved, and that these two remain the best of friends! #CHEDPetPics

12. Mary is a heifer living with humans Josh and Amy in Hardisty, AB. Mary knows her name, comes when called, and is keeping a keen eye on the 250 Angus cows that are calving all around her. Oh, and she’s really intrigued by all the new kittens on the property. #CHEDPetPics

11. As their names might suggest, Bentley and Beamer appreciate the finer things in life. Though they’re named after their human’s favourite cars, they loooove long walks. #CHEDPetPics

10. Si and Oliver are brothers, and if you ask them, they’re the two most fabulous felines in all of #yeg, thank you very much. #CHEDPetPics

9. Nobody is more excited for the start of the #yeggolf season than Lysander. This very good boy loves to work his jaw while his humans work on their putting. #CHEDPetPics

8. Sam and Ben - pigs in a blanket - would like to remind us how very clean and well-behaved they truly are. As for their human companion, “Big G,” they’re keeping their snouts outta that debate. #CHEDPetPics

7. Yodi, a Double Doodle, wakes up every morning camera-ready. Turns out Yodi’s also a big fan of talk radio - a “long time listener, zero time caller”. #CHEDPetPics

6. Gunner is the tallest of all the pets featured here, and likely the best roping/cattle partner, too. He loves apples, carrots, and winning #CHEDPetPics showdowns.

5. Munch just turned ten, and she couldn’t be more excited to have a little human jumping around. Don’t tell Munch to smile. Munch *is* smiling. #CHEDPetPics

4. Penny is her human’s “little pride and joy”. She loves long walks on the beach and snacks. Plenty of snacks. #CHEDPetPics

3. Tommy is a 9-yr-old Lab cross that just notched his 20th (!) blood donation @DogsDonate. Tommy’s lost a step or two, which means he’s extra chill around all the foster kittens and puppies in his care. #CHEDPetPics

2. Knox, photographed in his prime at 268 lbs, represents the “lions of dogdom”. This stunning English Mastiff has trimmed down to a svelte 240 - welcome news to those in charge of the grocery budget. #CHEDPetPics

1. These are 2 photos of the same dog. Berkley is a “foster win,” says his companion Andrea, who met him @SCARS_Alberta. “He’s a LOT of dog. After 2 yrs in my care as a foster, and 2 adoption returns, I realized what he already knew: we were meant for each other.” #CHEDPetPics

A huge thank you to everybody that submitted #CHEDPetPics today. What a welcome distraction! These are challenging times, and our animal companions are with us through it all.

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” - Anatole France