"This is Lilly Pearl. It's her first summer, since she's just a puppy. She enjoy spending time on her cot, looking out at the lake and, of course, playing." - Sommer Nichols

Wait a doggone minute for these entries in our Dog Days of Summer contest

If one thing is for certain, it’s that the residents of the Capital City are especially fond of their four-legged friends. And how can we blame them? These furry companions are the cutest faces in our July issue’s pages. Since we received such an overwhelming number of entries into our Dog Days of Summer contest, we couldn’t bear to leave any canines out. Read on to admire these local pups, along with stories from their loving owners: