Top UK veterinary charity PDSA announced the dogs, cats, and rabbits that are finalists for its 2014 weight-loss competition, which is supposed to raise awareness about pet obesity. Below, NewsFeed rounds-up the fat cats and pudgy pooches that have gone viral throughout the years.
This 39-Pound Cat Ate Hog Dogs
The hot dog-eating cat that wound up in a Santa Fe shelter was “interviewed” by Anderson Cooper and the TODAY anchors. It passed away from lung failure on May 7, 2012.
The Garfield That Can’t Eat Lasagna
This 40-pound cat went viral in 2012 when it was at a Long Island shelter. For exercise, it would get picked up by someone, moved to another spot, and the feline would have to walk back.
SpongeBob Can’t-Fit-Into SquarePants
This 33-pound feline chased lasers for exercise. In August 2012, about two months after it was adopted, it passed away after a large mass was found around its heart.
The Pet Version of The Biggest Loser
New York City “dog guru” Justin Silver helped Rosie, an obese Bernese Mountain Dog, start a weight-loss regiment on Dogs in the City, a CBS reality show about what it’s like to be a dog in The Big Apple.
The 131-Pound Lab
This dog weighed more than 170 pounds when it was rescued because his previous owner fed him every time he barked.
The 187-Pound Black Lab
Too many leftover pizza, pasta, and scraps from roasts explain why this Australian dog named Sampson was called a “lardy labrador” with a frame “the size of a small heifer” when he went viral in 2011.
Tiddles
During the 1970s, this tabby was known as the only male allowed in the ladies room at Paddington Station.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Fight to Free Evan Gershkovich
- Meet the 2024 Women of the Year
- John Kerry's Next Move
- The Quiet Work Trees Do for the Planet
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Column: The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com