Staff members in Senator Barbara Boxer's and Rep. Mike Honda's offices took home top honors for their pets in this year's Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill contest held tonight.

Phineas and Cusco took first place in the cutest dog and cat categories respectively, and a rabbit named Martini, who belongs to a staffer in Senator Elizabeth Warren's office, won in the exotic pet category.

The award winners beat out hundreds of other congressional pets in what's being called the tightest race in Washington - until Election Day, that is.

The contest is sponsored by the Animal Health Institute in an effort to promote research and funding for development in veterinary medicine and pet nutrition.

Amid this climate of hard and fast partisan politics, it seems sometimes all it takes is a four-legged friend to bridge the gap.