Last week, we asked you to help Spuds Mackenzie choose three adopted rescue or shelter dogs to be the faces of its brand-new line of pet food. The nine finalists you voted on were chosen from an open call of more than 1,100 submissions nationwide! We could barely handle the cuteness, and shed happy tears over the adoption stories. Nearly 2,000 votes later, here are the results (drum roll, paw-lease):
The winners, each receiving a $1,000 donation to their rescue or shelter, Spuds MacKenzie Anti-Anxiety & Calming Treats and swag, and FAME as the faces of Spuds MacKenzie’s new line of dog food, are:
Puppy: Fizzbit, adopted from Underdog Rescue of Minnesota
Fizzbit’s adoption story: “Her pregnant mother was rescued from a commercial breeding facility, malnourished and underweight. She was brought back to health by Underdog Rescue and gave birth to 10 healthy pups. Fizzbit was the largest puppy.”
Adult: Enzo, adopted from The Anti-Cruelty Society
Enzo’s adoption story: “I never believed in love at first sight until Enzo. I walked into the shelter during my lunch break to sign up to volunteer. But when I walked into the room, I saw that little underbite and I adopted him on the spot.”
Senior: Tiger, adopted from One Tail at a Time
Tiger’s adoption story: “Tiger was surrendered to Chicago Animal Care & Control so severely matted, he could not walk. One Tail At A Time stepped in to give him the ultimate makeover. I adopted him in July 2018 and he’s been my tiny, senior BFF since.”
The first runners-up, each receiving a $500 donation to their rescue or shelter and Spuds MacKenzie Anti-Anxiety & Calming Treats and swag, are:
Puppy: Neyla, adopted from Secondhand Hounds
Neyla’s adoption story: “Our family had to say goodbye to our ‘old man’ March 1. He was our first baby, a rescue from Florida, and the only brother our girls had ever known. Right after we met Neyla, we went out to the parking lot to submit our application. We just knew she was ours. While our hearts still grieve for our sweet Brady, we have grown a new spot for our spunky Neyla. She is adorably stubborn, and incredibly smart. We are blessed to have her in our family!”
Adult: Captain Jack Flash, adopted from Mountain Pet Rescue
Captain Jack Flash’s adoption story: ” We fostered for Mountain Pet Rescue and I received a text late one night that said emergency fosters needed for 11 puppies. We fostered two, Jack and his sister, who was adopted by some very close friends. Jack and Mira compete in frisbee competitions.”
Senior: Professor Farnsworth, adopted from Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue
Professor Farnsworth’s adoption story: “I adopted Professor Farnsworth from Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue in Hudson, WI. He was rescued from a puppy mill in Missouri. He was malnourished, lost a lot of teeth, and was very skiddish when I first got him, and now he’a a happy, healthy old pup.”
The second runners-up, each receiving a $250 donation to their rescue or shelter and Spuds MacKenzie Anti-Anxiety & Calming Treats and swag, are:
Puppy: Minnie, adopted from Animal Humane Society
Minnie’s adoption story: “Minnie was rescued when she was less than two months old and after being found abandoned in an apartment with her six other siblings. Sadly, she was one of two that survived. After losing a beloved dog, my three kids and I needed a new family member.”
Adult: Jax, adopted from PAWS Chicago
Jax’s adoption story: “My mom had just passed away and I wanted to see what dogs were at the shelter. I saw Jax in the back corner with his head down and I knew he was the one. He has changed my life for the best at the worst time in my life.”
Senior: Lavender, adopted from Humane Society of Boulder Valley
Lavender’s adoption story: “We adopted Lavey as a pup who ended up healing us from the death of another. She has become our son’s guardian, the forever alpha dog to our pack of misfits and all of the fosters we bring home. She is the ultimate sassy pants good girl in her golden years.”
Congratulations to all these good boys and girls! They deserb all the treatos in the jar and we can’t wait to see their huggable mugs on Spuds MacKenzie’s dog food packaging across the country.
Would your pup make a great celebredog? Obvs. Here are a few ways to get him his 15 minutes of fame:
- Enter Sidewalk Dog’s next Cover Dog Contest. The winners in Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and Seattle will receive their own photo shoot and puppear as Sidewalk Dog’s Facebook group cover photos.
- Show off your shiny coat and goody-four-paws manners as a dog model or actor. An agency like Animal Actors International can help connect you with print, film, and TV projects in the works.
- Show those zoomies off in agility com-paw-titions. Here’s a guide to getting started.
- Become the champion of more hearts as a certified therapy dog.
- And of course, tag #SidewalkDog on all your pics so we can drool over ’em.
Sidewalk Dog’s mission is to help dog parents spend more time with their puppers by discovering and sharing activities they can do and places they can go—together! Sniff out our award-winning newsletter and Instagram, then check us out on Facebook and Twitter.