Pets/Wildlife

Loki is a 2-year-old Boston Terrier. He is obsessed with playing fetch and running in the waves on the beach. Loki puts up with his mom dressing him up in silly costumes, for his own Instagram account. Loki lives with Christa Boyle and family in Land O’ Lakes.

A maintenance crew recently mowed a drainage pond in a neighborhood village in Zephyrhills. But after 2 inches of rain, resident Barbara Tabor woke up to find a mother duck with her brood in the pond. She wondered if the ducks had been there before the rain, and how did they all get there? She is still trying to figure out the mystery. Tabor said it was hard to count the ducks, as they kept moving, but she counted 16!

Abby is an unsighted, smart, loving rescue dog. She came in second place, in the cutest costume category, at this year’s Dogs Day in Dade City. Abby has won that same category for the past two years: Last year, she wore a Brownie Girl Scout costume, and recently she portrayed ‘The Little Mermaid.’ She reads The Laker Lutz News with her family every Tuesday. Abby lives with the Mountain family in San Antonio.

Michele Wyatt quickly grabbed her camera when she spotted this eagle in her backyard, in Stagecoach Village in Land O’ Lakes. Wyatt said it was pure luck that the eagle had not yet flown off.

Gracee is a 3-year-old Blue Merle Rough collie that is very energetic and loves to play with her brother, Jax. She loves to play ball and frisbee, loves walks, attention and lots of treats. Gracee lives with three cats and her owner, Kathy Smith, in Wesley Chapel.

Steve Vinik, a regular contributor to our Local Wildlife section, grabbed his camera once again to capture this beautiful portrait of sandhill crane and its babies. Vinik lives in Lexington Oaks, in Wesley Chapel.

DG Moore captured the incredible moment when this gator decided to chow down, in the backyard pond. Moore lives in Northwoods Palms in Wesley Chapel.

Otis is a 13-year-old Shih-poo. He loves fishing, boating and the beach. He loves his owner and follows her wherever she goes, even to the bathroom. Otis is part of the Karen Williams family and lives in Land O’ Lakes with his feline buddy, Moe, too.

White ibises are large wading birds with football-shaped bodies, and long curved bills. They usually gather in groups in shallow wetlands and estuaries, and nest in colonies in trees and shrubs along the water’s edge, changing locations nearly every year. Betsy Crisp snapped this photo of a couple of white ibises in search of a snack, in Land O’ Lakes.