Security Cam Shows Woman Cleaning—Dog Takes Spotlight, Wins Pet of the Week

A home security camera captured this week's Newsweek Pet of the Week in action in a hilarious and heartwarming video. While owner Marie Strickland was busy doing some spring cleaning in the yard, Ruthie the dog showed off her mischievous side. As her owner's back was turned, Ruthie figured out the perfect way to get his attention, by bounding into the yard with her large Miss Lamb Chops toy—a prized plush that is usually designated to being "indoor only."

Ruthie's owner's head was quickly turned as he saw the pup with the plush toy, quickly leading to a game rather than the chores intended. "Yep, I caused this," Strickland told Newsweek, admitting that Ruthie is "spoiled completely rotten." "My favorite thing about Ruthie is her loyalty and obedience. She's never far from my side and well behaved, allowing me to take her any place pups are welcomed," said Strickland. Ruthie isn't the only Newsweek reader's pet to capture our hearts this week, with finalists from a "foster fail" pup to a dog who recently had a whole photo shoot.

Finalists

Our first finalists this week are Fluffy and Tux, two beloved black cats that live with owner Mari Cormier who volunteers at the Regional Animal Services of King County. Before she worked at the shelter, she went in with one request: "I told them I was looking for the least adoptable cat they had. Fluffy was recovering from a severe flea infestation and had little fur. Even though she was a young cat she just had a litter of kittens," Cormier told Newsweek. Fluffy truly grew into her name, and is now a big ball of adorable fluffy who is living her best life with feline friend Tux. Now working at the shelter, she shared just how important it is to think of older animals in shelters. "We love it when people come into to adopt the older cats, they are our heroes," she said.

Next up this week is Janette Lilley's "foster fail" Perry. Found as a stray and rescued by Marley's Mutts, Perry had a rough start, struggling to trust people. When Lilley took him to an adoption event, she left him with the rescue staff for a while. Upon returning, she saw a heartbreaking sight—Perry looking sad and lost. But when he saw Lilley, everything changed: "He jumped up and was so excited! That's when we decided he was very attached to us," she said. The rest, is now history, and Perry is now living his best life with his family. Though he can still be a little afraid at times, he is very happy.

Last but not least this week is Tammy Stringe, the proud mom of three mini schnauzers. Wanting to capture her adorable pups, she decided to try a photo shoot for Valentine's Day, and was left in stitches at the results. "For some reason, my furbaby only gave me mean mugging expressions," she joked, sharing the pictures of the pups. If you think your pet could be next week's Newsweek Pet of the Week, send us your funny and heartwarming videos and pictures of your pet, along with a bit about them to life@newsweek.com and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup. Update, 03/18/25, 08:37 a.m.: This story was updated with additional comment from Ruthie's owner.