Shih Tzu Who Loves Playing Basketball Wins Pet of the Week

This week, we've seen a beagle puppy with an adorable reaction to visiting the beach for the first time and a dachshund's hilarious response to his bed being washed.

As well as viral videos and heartwarming stories, our readers have been sending their favorite videos and pictures of their animals for our Newsweek Pet of the Week.

If you want your pet to be part of next week's line-up, don't forget to follow the instructions at the end of this story.

Winner

This week, our top dog is Cali, a 6-year-old Shih Tzu, full of energy, who loves to play basketball.

"She is so full of curiousness, joy and energy," owner Eurydice Hall told Newsweek.

In an adorable video, Cali can be seen running around the basketball court with friends.

"She loves to play with basketballs," said Hall. "And steal them if possible!"

Finalists

Our first finalist this week is Penny Priddy, a 9-month-old cat who lives in Dallas, Texas, with owner Fannie Simpson.

Named after the Ellen Barkin character from the movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, Penny Priddy loves kneading pillows, blankets and greeting people at the door.

"When she greets us after not having seen us in a while, she does a high-pitched squeal," owner Simpson told Newsweek. "She greets our friends and strangers for attention, and jumps on Daddy's shoulders to see around the room."

A loving cat, Penny Priddy also likes spending time with her cat friend Zaphod and loves to give her owners kisses.

"We love how she comes running when we ask, 'Where's the little one?' and her need to give us sandpaper kisses all the time," said Simpson.

Next up this week is Bella, a bichon frisé and Shih Tzu mixed-breed dog, who lives with owner Joseph Pagan in Ansonia, Connecticut.

Bella came into her owner's life when he decided to look for a dog and stumbled on her in a pet store, taking her home just 15 minutes before the shop was set to close.

"My family had no idea where I was or what I was doing and I walked in the house with her inside my jacket. They were all so excited when her little head popped out, and it was love at first sight," owner Pagan told Newsweek.

"Bella is the most-loving, sweet dog I have ever met. She has the sweetest personality, she will come up and climb up on me and just cuddle, or she will grab her favorite toy and bring it over to play," Pagan added.

Last but not least this week is Shih Tzu Beau, a 9-year-old dog who is in the process of moving from Texas to Arizona with his owners.

"Moving across country is exciting. Downsizing is scary and hard on everybody," owner Monta Lea Grimes told Newsweek. "Yesterday, I caught Beau dragging his bed into a blue IKEA bag."

"I saw him in the bag again today," Grimes said. "When he got out, I noticed that he has now added a sock and his favorite gray camel."

All ready to move, Grimes added that she is definitely not leaving her beloved Beau behind.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.