Senior Cancer Survivor Dog With Sweet Bedtime Routine Wins Pet of the Week

As the festive season approaches quickly, we've been enjoying some seasonal stories about all sorts of pets this week.

From the woman who challenged her husky to find her when she dressed up as a Christmas tree—with some hilarious consequences—to the cat who decided to rearrange his owner's decorations while the family slept.

We've also heard from experts about keeping our beloved pets safe during the festivities. A vet issued a warning over a "dangerous" pet Christmas light trend, while another animal expert revealed the Christmas decorations that dog owners should avoid this year.

As well as stories from around the web, we've been collecting our favorite pet pictures and videos from readers for our Newsweek Pet of the Week line-up.

Remember, if you want your pet to be part of next week's line-up, follow the details at the end of this story.

Winner

This week our Pet of the Week is Frenchie, a rescue dog with a rather adorable bedtime habit.

Owner Claudia Vega described her companion dog as a "troublemaker," and told Newsweek she was adopted from the streets of Mexico.

Now aged 14, Vega and her beloved Frenchie have been on many adventures together—often going to visit people around the U.S. and Mexico.

Wherever she is though, Frenchie always makes sure to make her bed comfortable—fluffing up the blankets before settling in.

"She taught me that dog love is unconditional," Vega said.

Their connection goes even further, too, as both Frenchie and her owner have survived cancer, too. Vega explained: "She battled cancer, and we are both cancer-free survivors. Sometimes I feel she is my soul doggie."

Finalists

This week's first finalist is Max, an 11-year-old Shih Tzu who helps owner Christine Mueller overcome her social anxiety.

"Max is very important to me," the Wisconsin resident told Newsweek.

Often getting out and about with his owner, Max is a great comfort when things feel difficult, and very good at cuddles too.

Next up this week is the naughty-but-precious Nea. Sometimes nicknamed "Naughty Nea," the 4-year-old rescue lives in Minnesota with owner Maria Slusser.

"How can a dog be this cute and so naughty?" she laughed, telling Newsweek how her rescue pup had recently found her way to eating almost a whole loaf of bread from the refrigerator.

"She did generously leave two slices behind! I took her to the dog park thinking she needed to run off the carbs and she promptly tossed it all up in my car," Slusser said.

Thankfully though, Nea is plenty cute, keeping her firmly in her owner's good books despite her antics.

Last but not least this week is senior dog Mickey. Living in Roseville, California, with owner Patricia Hansen, he was adopted from the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Hansen said that she thinks her pup is the "best dog in the U.S."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.