Here in the Ann Arbor area, we have a thriving pet population, and there is never a lack of things to talk about with the many humans with whom these companion animals share their lives. And, as we see at the end of each week, cute pet photos as well!

It's always fun to see what our readers lives are like with their own pets and other animals, and there are always interesting stories to tell.

This week, we feature a Shiba Inu (a breed that was impacted greatly by World War II) who loves the snow, a reluctant Boston Terrier and an "odd couple" of the animal world.

Photo submissions for future slideshows are always being accepted, and participating in our weekly photo blog is easy! Simply email a photo of your pet, just being him or herself, to ppsa2mi@gmail.com any time for our weekly Pet Photo Friday feature.

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 1200 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. Follow her daily pet adventures on Twitter.