Cutest Pet
Spirit (above) the husky is 10 years old and has lived with Rachel Saxton since he was five. “We just love him to bits,” Saxton writes. EW staffers voted him cutest because of his adorable smile and 10/10 “loafing” ability.
Creepiest Pet
Sweppo the axolotl was voted creepiest by EW staffers, although some of us think he might be one of the cutest. He’s a sight to behold (and has us singing the “Axolotl Song”) but still charming nonetheless!
Best Rescue
Daisy, the “psychic” German shepherd was rescued from an abusive home as a puppy by relatives of the abuser. After his service dog passed away, Steve Thoemmes decided to visit Daisy at her caregiver’s home and fell in love. After a long process of training, Thoemmes writes, “She’s chill at the dentist, at the Schnitzer, at Safeway, at the Cottage Theatre and even during the chaos of a busy street.”
Most Like Owner
Gandalf Bubbles Brown, the hound dog, is turning 15 years old this September. Adopted by lookalike Steve Brown in 2010, Gandalf is his children’s childhood dog and “my best friend,” Brown says. Gandalf was an EW staff favorite. “I couldn’t tell which one was the dog and which one was the owner,” says Savannah Brown, EW calendar editor (who is not related to Gandalf).
Check out all the pets at EugeneWeekly.com and drop us a note and chew us out if you disagree with our votes to Letters@EugeneWeekly.com.
A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!

Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
