Having photos of our companion animals around is a great way to show them off, but it also serves another purpose: If your pets end up missing, recent photographs can be an important tool in getting them come home safely.

Earlier in the week, we asked our readers to send in new photographs of the furry friends both for our weekly series and also as encouragement to take up-to-date photos to have on hand in case their pets become lost.

We thrilled with the participation, and we know that you'll love the image that you'll see this week.

Taking part in the weekly slideshow is easy! Simply email your new photos to ppsa2mi@gmail.com at any time during the week.

Be sure to include the name of the animal(s), as well as their age and city or township of residence in your email. Photos should be 600 pixels wide and in .jpg format.

We put the week's photos into a slideshow, publish and promote each Friday here in the Pets section.

Lorrie Shaw is lead pets blogger for AnnArbor.com. Shoot her an email or live vicariously by following her adventures on Twitter.