Gutter dog. Garbage enthusiast. Toothless Malinois impersonator. Pet of the Year.

According to DNA, Lois is a Belgian Malinois. According to anyone who has met Lois, this seems unlikely.

Our Lowie is perhaps best described as part seal, part hyena, part meerkat and part elderly woman who has simply had enough.

She has no teeth. Part of her tongue is missing. She has skin issues. She has lumps. She has bumps. She takes enough medication to require her own pharmacy, all of which she dry swallows like an absolute psychopath.

She is afraid of nearly everything. She also loves nearly everyone.

Despite having access to beds, blankets and every comfort we can provide, Lois prefers dirt. Gutters. Questionable patches of ground. ACTUAL garbage. If there is a beautiful dog bed next to a pile of debris, Low will be asleep in the debris.

She is, by almost every measure, everything we said we would never adopt.

And then we adopted her.

Because underneath this strange, toothless, lumpy little cartoon character is the toughest dog I have ever known and the gentlest soul imaginable.She asks for almost nothing. She loves with her whole heart. She makes us laugh every single day. And somehow, this absolute mess of a dog has completely taken over mine.

So please consider our Lowie Girl for Woods' Pet of the Year Calendar.

Not because she is majestic. Not because she is photogenic. Not because she has overcome adversity with grace and dignity.

She has very little dignity.

Vote for Lois because sometimes the very best dogs come with no teeth, half a tongue, a CVS receipt of medical problems and a strong preference for sleeping in a gutter.

She is an absolute, perfect mess.

And she is EVERYTHING!!!!