2026 Legendary Pet Contest

The 3rd annual Legendary Pet Contest recently concluded and it was a nail biter until the very end!

Long haired australian shepherd dog sitting outside behind the big al elephant mascot for university of alabama

Pets have a special way of boosting our physical health, reducing stress, and bringing people together. This year, we asked faculty and staff to share pictures of their pets and how their pets keep them active and healthy. With over 130 pets entered, we saw a wide variety of animals from the classic dogs and cats to bearded dragons, Guinea pigs, a horse, chicken, and even a cow!

White cat laying on the back of couch sleeping with paws stretched out

Bearded dragon looking at the camera sitting on a fake log in it's tank

Brown cow with a white spot on its head standing behind a wire fence in a field looking at the camera

Black guinea pig wearing a green fuzzy costume

Dog running through grass toward the camera with a white frisbee in its mouth

dark brown feathery chicken standing in its coop

Through bracket-style voting on Instagram stories, the contest was narrowed down until just one pet was crowned UA’s Legendary Pet of 2026. Special mention to the top 9 pets:

Brown, black, and white dog sitting outside looking at the camera — Newton

golden retriever dog sitting on brick steps looking at the camera — Chance

Brown, black, and white dog standing in the grass with one paw lifted up looking at the camera — Ducky

curly haired brown dog sitting in an orange soft-sided cooler looking up at the camera with it's tongue sticking out — Lakey

Brown and white dog standing in blue water outside looking up at the camera — Winnie

light orange cat with blue eyes sitting on a chair inside looking at the camera — Tiger

Black and white dog laying outside in the grass wearing a red bandana looking at the camera — Rob Miller

Chance and Lakey made it through 5 rounds of voting on Instagram to compete in the championships. 700 people voted in 24 hours, and it came down to just 3 votes.