Monday, April 11 is National Pet Day and in its honour we are celebrating your pets – from dogs and cats to rabbits and guinea pigs – even chameleons.

We asked you to send us pics of your awesome pets – and tell us just why they’re so awesome – and you delivered!

Here’s a rundown of our favourite 25 pets of Vancouver – plus two bonus ones from the Vancity Buzz office.

Ella

From Lauren: Introducing Ella, the three-year-old Maltese, Poodle, Pomeranian mix, who resides in Gastown and can be spotted sleeping on the patio of Chill Winston, shopping Water Street, or frolicking in the water at Crab Park.

Bailey

From Jazel: Meet Bailey the beagle. At nine-months-old, she’s a fearless explorer and the friendliest pooch in town. Bailey never fails to greet every paw (and sniff every butt) – she is even deemed store greeter at the local pet store (paid with treats, of course). Bailey’s fortunate to accompany Mom to the office so you can say her occupation is “office puppy.” Duties include hoovering crumbs under desks, shredding paper with her teeth and most importantly, sleeping on the job. She’s the centre of attention wherever she goes and is already busy planning her first birthday Pawty!

Nikola Tesla

From Nikola Tesla himself: I’m Nikola Tesla, but everyone calls me Tessie for short. I have a really big family, which is nice because I didn’t have one at all before my Mom, Julia, rescued me. I love sitting in silly ways that make my humans laugh and laying down on computers. I also really love my humans, especially my Mom. We take care of each other and it’s a really good life.

Spooky and Snickers

From Micaela: I’d like to introduce my two bunnies, Spooky and Snickerdoodle. They’re a pair of bonded bunnies who love to get into mischief together. Spooky is a mini lop and she’s definitely the ring leader of the two. We’re not quite sure what kind of bunny Snickers is, but we got him from the Vancouver Rabbit Rescue (he was found as a baby running around on Main Street!). Spooky and Snickers love getting attention, pats, going to the Vancouver Rabbit Agility Club, and most of all, eating bananas.

Rookie-Roo

From Aleesha: Meet Rookie-Roo, a Chinook/Malamute rescue pup that I have had the pleasure of owning since he was 13-weeks-old. Not only is this three-year-old guy an absolute character and my best bud, but he also helps out in our community. He is a registered blood donor for the Vancouver Animal Blood Bank, and has been able to visit elderly care homes to provide some companionship for the residents. No need to say he has single handedly stolen not only my heart from the moment we met but he has certainly left a lasting impression on everyone he has come across!

Catchup

From Denise: Meet Catchup! I rescued her from a dumpster, as a tiny stray kitten with barely any baby teeth, 18 years ago – proving one person’s “garbage” is another person’s gold! We’ve been fast friends and partners in crime ever since. She’s seen more of Canada than many Canadians and has lived in Vancouver longer than many Vancouverites. Now in her golden years, Catchup enjoys a quiet routine of television, sofas, catnip, cat-naps, cuddling with her dog buddy and the occasional escape to B.C. wine country to visit family.

Tucker

From Tucker himself: From walking backwards instead of forwards, having staring contests you didn’t even know about and my all around goofy, carefree manner, it’s a wonder I’m not famous already. Not all pooches need to be registered therapy dogs to get the job done. Also, I love mud. A lot. Not sure if you’ve noticed.

Spirit

From Vanessa: This is Spirit. She is a five-year-old corgi mix rescue from Northern B.C. As a stray, Spirit was rescued when she was waiting in line to be put down. That was four years ago. In the past four years, she has discovered her love for fetch and sweet potatoes.
I’m telling this story to encourage people to consider adopting a pet and saving a life like Spirit.

Shuriek and Mila

From Stanislava: Shuriek and Mila are inseparable. Shuriek (the big one) was rescued from a house of 60 cats. He was beaten, malnourished and lived in a cage for one year. Mila came from an abusive past, and now suffers with neurological problems (and seizures), but they are the most loving and hilarious cats! Love them to bits! #adoptdontshop!

Luna

Luna, better known as Chubby Luna, is a blue French bulldog with a big personality. She loves to eat, sleep and fart all day and is the best cuddler. Luna enjoys spending time at the dog park, hiking awesome trails and sometimes paddle boarding at Granville Island.

Buttons

From Victoria: Buttons is a two-year-old, smart, chubby bunny. She loves to suntan herself on the lawn when it’s sunny out. She also plays hide and seek with you around furniture and can escape from almost any pen. She’s an excellent jumper and jumps for joy when we give her a treat of either apple peels, raspberries, or some banana slices. Along with grazing on the grass in the backyard, you can usually find her playing with our two other bunnies, Stanley and Charcoal.

Carter

From Stacy: His worst nightmare, to be clean. Baths are a tough time for Carter, as you can tell by the happy look on his face! Love my little guy to bits <3

Errl

From Megan: Errl is a two-year-old Veiled Chameleon who captured our hearts one day when we happened upon him at Aquariums West. Living in the city, it’s hard to find a pet-friendly living situation, so having Errl (the happiest and friendliest little lizard you will ever meet) has been great! He spends his days patrolling the West End from his perch in the window.

Buachaill

From Trammie: This is our dog named Buachaill (AKA Boo). We adopted him from CAARE in October 2014 and he’s been the light of our lives since then. Boo is always in a good mood, loves making new friends wherever we go and has become somewhat of a favourite at our local liquor store. When he’s not posing for photos for Instagram, he’s chasing off birds at Coopers Park and watering the flowers and bushes nearby 🙂

Maggie

From Kayte: This is Maggie. She’s an 11-year-old pit bull who was pulled from the shelter at 18 months old. She has had four knee surgeries, mast cell tumors (cancerous growths), spine problems, and IBD. She’s my constant shadow and has been the perfect dog for my nieces and nephew to grow up with. She has cost me a fortune, but has been worth every penny, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.

Leo

From Niki: Meet Leo! He’s a fluffy Scottish Fold and he’ll be three-years-old on July 3! Leo is charming and affectionate and can nap anywhere and anytime! The most loving he gets is when, lying at the foot of my bed, he spots my open eyes and crawls over to the pillow to be scratched… purring as loud as he can.

Chester

From Paul: Chester is a Chiweenie. He is half chihuahua and half dachshund.
He is a tiny dog that makes up for his size with a courageous spirit and huge personality.
He was rescued from a shelter in California, where he would have been put down just days after we rescued him. He is loyal, loving, and his favourite activity is chasing squirrels.
He loves Vancouver and always inspires me to visit as many beautiful places in our city as possible. Chester is a true blessing.

Jorge

From Monika: This is my two-year-old guinea pig, Jorge. He squeaks loudly when he hears that I am awake in the morning and he is easily bribed by lettuce and celery!

Pit

From Stephanie: Pit is the piece of my life that I never knew was missing. He’s cranky, lazy and non-compliant but is somehow perfect for me. He’s inspired me to pursue my photography hobby and I am loving every moment spent taking photos with him. He’s unlike most dogs and many don’t “get” him, but that’s OK. I do. He rocks.

Daisy

From Elliott: This is our Bernese Mountain dog Daisy. She is 15-months-old and the picture shows her experiencing snow for the first time, last week at Mt Seymour!

Annie

From Chelsea: Annie is the love of my life. She always knows when I am sad or angry and stays by my side until I feel better. She is always waiting at the door for me to come home and sleeps right beside my head. She’s my little fur ball and I am so thankful to have her in my life.

Tika

From Stephanie: I adopted Tika from the SPCA in September 2015. She’s a seven-year-old mix, but looks like a Dalmatian puppy. She’d been rescued in an animal cruelty bust in August after having been used (and abused) as a breeder, and was learning everything about being a pet for the first time. Since her rescue she’s had countless new experiences: wearing a collar, going for walks, climbing stairs, meeting humans, even learnings how to sit in a dog bed! Life with her is an adorable journey of discovery, building confidence, learning to trust, and over time, lots and lots of cuddles.

Cassiopeia

From Joanne: Armed with a pair of bright blue eyes, an engine-like purr and copious amounts of furry cuddles, Cassiopeia melts the hearts of all those in her vicinity. When not busy napping, she can be found performing for treats with tricks such as ‘high-five’ ‘please’ ‘sit’ ‘down’ and ‘hug’. She plans to celebrate her third birthday this Wednesday with an extra long afternoon nap in a cardboard box.

Charlie

From Daryl: Charlie is a Beagle – King Charles Cavalier mix. He’s two-and-a-half. A ladies’ man by nature, he can woo females (dogs or human) as easily as he can pee accidentally when he’s too excited. Pastimes include barking at animals on the TV, choking himself with his own collar, and cuddling you harder than Miguel after some red wine.

Angel, Nyx and Hero

From Melissa: I love my pack to bits – there is nothing, absolutely nothing I would not do for them – even to go as far as hire a professional photographer and have an after hours photo session at the Abbotsford Tulip Festival to capture their amazing beauty!! Pfffft not crazy right?

And a couple of extras from Vancity Buzz writers:

Hank

From Hank himself: My name is Hank, and I’m five-years-old. I used to be the assistant to the Editor of LAist.com, but since moving to the ‘burbs of Metro Van, I’m a stay-at-home cat. I enjoy short visits to the backyard, bites of people food, the bathroom, long naps, and chasing straws or plastic baggies. I also spend a lot of time trying to figure out how the tiny human boy who moved in three years ago is now double my weight and manages to trap me in endless “squishy kitty hugs!”

Tyler

From Jenni: We knew Tyler would be an awesome pet when we adopted him from the SPCA and he fell asleep on the way home with his legs in the air, like a dog that wants his belly rubbed. I love Tyler’s crazy long hair and the way he ambles around, as chill as can be. He loves hanging around my laptop, helping me work. And lots and lots of cheese.

Happy National Pet Day!