C utest Pet Photos by Joe Brooks Photography Contest This year’s contest was one of our best yet, with more than
40,000 votes cast for Central Florida’s cutest pet. Now,
it’s time to get to know the top three winners!
1st Place: Jack
Breed: Bernese Mountain Dog
Pet parents: Cody & Alexis Suarez
Community: Winter Garden
What are some of Jack’s favorite things? Jack’s
favorite things include being a 100-pound lap dog.
In his spare time, Jack enjoys going to the dog park
and hanging out with all of his friends. Jack’s all-time
favorite things usually include anything that is edible.
He enjoys being a brother to our golden retriever and
lives to make sure that only he receives all the attention
and love in the house. (Poor Hank.)
How did you and Jack meet? My old college roommate
knew I was interested in a Bernese Mountain Dog, so
when she came across one, she texted me. My husband
and I went to look at him just to see him and learn more
about the breed, and the rest was history. We had no
intention of getting another dog at that point, but it was
love at first sight.
What is Jack’s story? Jack is the happiest dog I know
despite almost losing his life near his 1st birthday.
Jack had a reaction or illness that specialists still can’t
explain even after being hospitalized for a week and
having almost every test imaginable. They initially told
me he probably had cancer and was going to die. His
lymph nodes in his neck were so swollen that he could
not breathe and they were going to have to perform a
life-saving tracheotomy. They finally gave him steroids
after a week of suffering and he miraculously recovered.
They don’t know what happened to Jack or if it will
happen again. We cherish every day we have with him,
and he’s still the happiest dog I know even after having
gone though that experience.
Fun Fact! Jack is a mountain dog who loves living in
Central Florida even though he still can’t swim.
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