While many celebrities growl at pushy photographers, Kenneth Fuzzington III has the media eating out of his hand – or rather, paw.
Ken, as his close friends call him, knows just how to handle the pup-arazzi: by being his adorable self. After all, he's officially the cutest pet in central Ohio, according to Dispatch readers who chose him from 16 nominees.
The 6-month-old ball of fluff is a Cavapoo – a crossbreed of a Cavalier King Charles spaniel with a toy poodle – who's taking his newfound fame in stride, according to his human, Kryssi Wichers.
"He's being very humble. We haven't had to fan him with leaves or feed him grapes," Wichers said.
Wichers said entering Ken in The Dispatch's contest was a no-brainer. "I thought, 'How silly that they're
doing a contest when clearly, I have the cutest pet in the world!'" she said with a laugh.
When Wichers saw Ken in a pet store, she had no intention of taking him home – until she played with him for a couple of hours. "I dropped a couple thousand dollars I didn't have, but it was the best decision I ever made," she said.
Her partner, Anthony Sluzele, didn't particularly want a small dog. Or so he thought. However, he couldn't resist the power of cuteness.
"He's almost more attached than I am," Wichers said. "Ken is always on his lap when I come home."
Young Mr. Fuzzington is quite the social butterfly, not to mention a fashionista who can frequently be seen in his bedazzled vest greeting passersby in the Arena District, where he lives. He especially loves children.
"He's so loving. He wants to go talk to everybody. He thinks his name is 'Cute' – he goes crazy when people call him that," Wichers said.
Ken's other favorite things include freeze-dried treats, pumpkin and a small, stuffed replica of Wichers that he sleeps with. He prefers cat toys only, which tracks since he lives with two cats.
Each morning, Ken wakes Wichers with doggie kisses, "which is funny because I used to think dogs licking people's faces was gross! He always wants to give love," she said.
"Every time I wake up and see him, I smile. I'd never had a dog before, so I made fun of people who were crazy about their dogs. Now I get it."
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at bpaschal@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Meet Kenneth Fuzzington III, central Ohio's cutest pet
