Izzy the Husky named 'GMA' Pet of the Year, meet all the furry and feathered nominees
It's time to honor the year's most talented, lovable pets submitted by viewers.
Many of your beloved pets are vying to be the top dog -- or cat -- for the first annual "Good Morning America" Pet of the Year Awards.
After hundreds of viewer submissions, the nominees were narrowed down and separated into the following categories: Instagr-animal, Most Tail-ented, Underdog, and Odd Couple, plus a bonus Quackpot of the Year.
With the help of North Shore Animal League, "Good Morning America" announced the first-ever Pet of the Year, who received a special "wag-bag" from Barkbox.
Most InstaGr-animal Award
These are pets who've made the biggest splash on social media this year.
Winner: Herbee The Hedgehog
He and his human, Talitha, joined "GMA" live from Germany to celebrate the award.
"This is so amazing Herbee is so excited," she said of his first-ever pet award.
Most Tail-ented Award
These are pets who blew us away with their unbelievable skills.
Nominees
- Buddy the Beagle
- River the Golden Retriever
- Truffles the Kitten
Winner: Buddy the Beagle
Buddy and his humans, Laurie and Glen accepted the honor live at "Good Morning America."
"On behalf of Buddy Mercury, the piano dog, thank you," his owner said.
The Underdog Award
This category is for pups who overcame incredible challenges -- and are inspirations to us all.
Winner: Izzy the Husky
Izzy's human companion, Melissa from Pacific Palisades, California, told "GMA" the secret to Izzy overcoming her challenges.
"She was born with hip dysplasia -- she just loves going to the hospital and visiting children there," her owner said. "On behalf of Izzy thank you so much."
Odd Couple
These are unlikely animal pairs that are in fact the perfect match. A dog and turkey, a cat and parrot and a goose and horse are proof that opposites can indeed attract.
Winner: Waffles and Hemingway
They couldn't make it to Times Square, but they joined live from their home in Pennsylvania with their human, Madeline and Nick.
"They're having a great time and just excited to be on the show with you guys," Nick said. "Waffles would say thank you to all the people who have opened their hearts and adopted their pets."
Quackpot of the Year
Quackers the Duck was given the very special honor, which was handed out earlier this week at Lifetime Achievement Ceremony.
Pet of the Year: Izzy the Husky
The blue-eyed grey and white therapy dog earned the top prize of the first annual Pet of the Year Awards.
