Pets/Wildlife

Somi is a 2-year-old Shiba Inu. She is quite playful and has a very gentle disposition and befriends just about everyone she meets. Somi is naturally inquisitive, with a sense of smell that seems to be unparalleled for finding that errant treat hiding under the sofa. Her favorite time of the day is the evening, when the family is home together and she can be seen making the rounds, getting a good scratch and ear massage. If you look closely, you can see her smiling — it’s absolutely adorable and warms her family’s hearts. Somi lives in Land O’ Lakes with Jeff and Debbie Hanneken.

Will Kuhns snapped this photo of a dragonfly in his Ballantrae neighborhood in Land O’ Lakes. Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across the sea, moving in any direction and changing direction suddenly. The adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions: upward, downward, forward, backward, to the left and to the right.

Dobby was adopted in July 2022 from the Mercy Full Project in Tampa that rescued him from a not-so-loving home. He is named after the elf from Harry Potter. Dobby plays all day and gets a lot of treats, and he just wants to be loved. Dobby lives with his proud parents, Tyler Staggs and Noel Damouni, in Land O’ Lakes.

A roseate spoonbill and a white ibis stopped by in the early morning hours in Bonnie Caston’s backyard in Zephyrhills. It appears the pair may have been discussing plans for the day! 

Baby Girl is a cocker-poodle and perfectly sized at 12 pounds. She has warmed the hearts of all her neighbors and has ‘socialized’ dogs that originally didn’t want to mingle.
She comes out of the house on her leash and looks right and then left — her mission is to head for someone to pet her or ‘sniff her.’ Baby Girl has brought joy and love to her two moms, Mary and Helen Lewandowski.

Barbara Craig often hikes at the Cypress Creek Preserve in Land O’ Lakes and snapped this photo of a red-shouldered hawk off the 4-mile trail. The bird of prey sat for about 15 minutes on a branch over a creek that flows through the park, giving Craig the chance to get a good photo.

Grady is a 3-year-old ‘teddy bear,’ full-bred registered red male shih tzu, born in Bradenton. Grady was named after the famous sheriff from Polk County, Grady Judd. It was love at first sight when Grady’s mom adopted him and brought him home. Grady is beautiful, brave and makes everyone smile. He likes humans and loves to make people happy. Grady is very soft and loves hugs, so humans love to hold him. He lives with his mom, Terry Warner, and family in Wesley Chapel.

This house finch was perched on a palm tree near the front door of Steve Vinik’s home in Lexington Oaks, Wesley Chapel. The bird was hanging out with a few other red-feathered friends, too. Vinik said it’s wonderful when you can sit inside your air-conditioned home and capture an image like this on the other side of your window.

Teddy is a 17-year-old miniature poodle. He is adorable and likes wearing shirts, scarves and bow ties. Teddy loves to go to the groomers and get pampered, too. He is a picky eater and will only eat Publix chicken. He loves to snuggle in bed and is a great watch dog with a loud powerful bark. Teddy was adopted from his owner’s mother when she passed away. He lives in Land O’ Lakes with Steve and Lisa Carmack.

Janet Capati-Juco said this beautiful hawk is a daily visitor at the dog park in Oak Creek in Wesley Chapel. This bird of prey can be found at the park twice a day!