Winners of the Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill Contest Announced
Animal lovers in Washington, D.C. tuned into a video announcement of the winners of the 12th annual Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill Contest.
The announcement was hosted virtually to continue the tradition of celebrating the pets of Capitol Hill, an especially important event during the pandemic, when our relationships with companion animals has taken on new meaning.
Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-5) served as a judge for the contest, and he broke the news about who secured the most votes.
“As one of the three veterinarians in the United States Congress, it’s always a lot of fun to collaborate with the Animal Health Institute for the Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill contest,” said Representative Schrader. “Pets are always important to us, and never more so than during the global pandemic when so many of us seek companionship and outlets that help us have fun and release tension. Pets remind us of what’s good and right in the world.”
The Cutest Dog 2020 goes to Sargent Pepper, who was submitted by Syd Terry of Representative Jan Schakowsky’s (IL-9) office; the Cutest Cat 2020 is Jackson, a rescue cat owned by Liz Leibowitz of Senator Ben Cardin’s (MD) office; and the Cutest Exotic 2020 is Arty, the steadfast Betta fish owned by Matthew Brownlee of Representative Markwayne Mullin’s (OK-2) office.
“For many, the global pandemic has magnified the importance of animals in our lives,” shared Alex Mathews, President and CEO of AHI. “In this year’s Cutest Pets contest, we have been especially heartened to learn the many ways pets have been helping their owners who work on Capitol Hill. The human-animal bond has never been stronger, which is why it’s so important to keep our animals healthy.”
