Reader’s Digest Pet Pals 2021 contest winners inlcude lots of good dogs

The Reader’s Digest Pet Pals 2021 contest winners include quite a few very good dogs.

This was included in the  October 2021 issue of the popular magazine, and while there were a variety of pets (including cats, chickens, sheep and tortoises) and animal-loving humans awarded as winners, we’re only going to be talking about the dogs for the time being.

1,030 dogs, 581 cats, 31 horses, 21 chickens, 16 rabbits, 11 cows, eight lizards, five ferrets and a tarantula – plus other animals that weren’t specified – were all nominated for the Reader’s Digest Pet Pals 2021 contest, and 31,581 total votes were cast.

A pair of German Shepherds named were Rue and Finn were named Proudest Protectors after they protected their owner, Nancy Radebaugh of Utica, Ohio, from a menacing stranger on a hiking trip.

The Reader’s Digest Pet Pals 2021 contest winners included a lot of very good dogs.

Floyd, an Australian Shepherd belonging to Elizabeth Shepherd of Saratoga Springs, New York, was named the winner in the Animals to Animals category for the devoted way he takes care of the kittens his best cat friend Mousetrap has each year.

Robert McPherson of Charlotte, North Carolina is a Marine who worked for around two decades in humanitarian efforts, receiving a service dog from Southeastern Guide Dogs to help with his anger, anxiety and depression. Blue is the largest Labrador Retriever in the history of their program, and ably assists in McPherson’s daily life, which resulted in the Lifesavers category win.

Finally, there were Dakota and Indiana, a mother-daughter pair of Siberian Husky mixes from South Carolina who belong to Nonnie Gerber from The Hamptons, New York, who won the Rescued Animals category. Indiana survived being shot by a hunter who mistook her for a wolf, surviving on her three remaining legs, and was later adopted by Dakota’s owner, who found Indiana thanks to a news report.

Also, the Reader’s Digest 2021 Most Trusted Brands survey, with about 4,000 respondents ages 18 and over, saw a handful of pet-related categories, as Purina was named the winner in the Pet Food category, Milk-Bone took the prize in the Pet Treat category, Tidy Cats was named Most Trusted Cat LItter, PetSmart was the winner in the Pet Retailer category, and Nationwide was the winner in the Pet Insurance category.

This was also part of the October 2021 issue, and other winners included (alphabetically) ADT Security, Behr Paints, Carnival Cruise Lines, Fidelity Investments, GEICO, IKEA, Lysol, Marriott Hotels, Southwest Airlines, State Farm Insurance, Tide, Toyota, and Verizon.