A dog, a cat, and a silken chicken have been named the inaugural winners of the Canadian Animal Health Institute’s (CAHI’s) “Cutest Pets on Parliament Hill” contest.

The honourees bested more than 65 entrants to be named among the finalists in their respective categories. In total, Canadians cast 4,024 votes in the competition.

The winners are:

• Cutest Dog: Matteo, a good boy and therapy dog in-training
• Cutest Cat: Shohei Ohtani (a.k.a. “Shohei Meowtani”), an 11-month-old Siberian kitten with extra tufts of fur on his paws and ears
• Cutest Other Pet: Petunia, a silkie chicken who is regal queen of her fluffy flock

“CAHI is grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s contest a resounding success, including our panel of judges, as well as everyone who entered a pet, voted, and helped spread the word,” says the institute’s president and CEO, Catherine Filejski, DVM. “We look forward to bringing this contest back in 2024 and beyond, where I am sure the competition will only get fiercer!”

For photos and bios of the winners, click here.