Who’s the Triangle’s top dog? Meet the ‘foster fail’ crowned the cutest pup in our contest
We could all use some photos of a cute dog right now.
After taking in dozens of nominations for picture-perfect pups, one has come out on top as the winner of The News & Observer’s cutest dog contest.
Out of 81 furry friends around the Triangle, one small pup with a big personality collected the most votes in our competition: Boogie, a 3.5-year-old rescue dog from Durham.
Meet Boogie
Boogie, also nicknamed Boogie Woogie, Boogie Woog and Perfect Boy, is a mix between a miniature American shepherd and poodle with a “splash of lab,” according to his pawrent, Liza Darnell.
“I actually started off saying I would foster Boogie but within a week, I was like, ‘No, this is my dog,’” she said. “Boogie is a foster fail… He’s my only. I’m single, no kids, so we are together and having fun all the time.”
Originally named Buddy, the pup was rescued and renamed by Darnell earlier this spring after she got him from CrisisDogsNC. At the time, he wasn’t in the best shape but now, six months later, he’s happier and healthier in his forever home.
“I don’t know much about where he came from before that,” she said.
“When I got him, he had been completely shaved down. He was really matted. The rescue organization got him, and he was about 15 pounds. Now he’s 24 pounds, so he’s put on a good amount of weight and healthy weight, and his hair is all grown out and floofy.”
Since then, the little dog has made quite a big impact even outside of his home and around his community downtown.
Boogie’s favorite places
Darnell says he loves walking around the warehouse district, different breweries, Central Park and even prancing around Duke East Campus to “greet all the students who are missing their dogs from home.”
“He is just incredibly friendly,” Darnell explained. “My last dog was 14, and I had to put him to sleep last summer, and he was toothless and tried to bite everyone and was not friendly, but still my perfect dog.
“So it’s wonderful to have this one who just wants to cuddle with everyone, and when everyone we meet says, ‘Oh my gosh, that is the cutest dog I’ve ever seen. What is he? Where did you get him? Can I have him?’ So it’s a delight to walk him around.”
But Boogie isn’t just a friendly face to strangers. Darnell says her “incredibly cuddly” playful pup is also a big fan of seeing his own reflection in the mirror.
“Often in the morning I wake up to him talking to himself in the mirror having full conversations with whimpers, gurgles and the occasionally happy bark,” she explained. “He’ll go on for several minutes. I think it’s his daily self pep talk.”
While Darnell obviously has a soft spot for her fluffy pup, she says her family, friends and even neighbors were excited about Boogie taking the official title of the cutest dog around the Triangle.
“I think it’s absolutely true, and it would be true whether we had the award or not,” she told The News & Observer. “There are so many cute dogs in the Triangle. This is just an enormous honor. He’s got a big entourage of very heavy voters, from my friends and building, and my mom and family. So they’re all very, very thrilled as well.”
The News & Observer’s cutest dog contest finalists
There were 20 lovable finalists for our contest. Here are the names and ages of the other 19, along with their favorite hobbies or fun facts:
- Gulliver (3.5) is a chiweenie from Raleigh. He loves sniff-safari excursions and olfactory educational experiences.
- Goose (4 months) is a miniature bernedoodle from Raleigh. His favorite hobbies are meeting new people and dogs, and eating things that aren’t food.
- Lucy (9) is a pug from Raleigh. She is a three-time cancer survivor who loves loves barking at the trash truck, eating strawberries, taking naps, and watching the Carolina Hurricanes play hockey on TV.
- Pepper (1.5) is a pug from Raleigh who loves to play fetch more than anything.
- Evanston (3) is a schnoodle from Morrisville. He was named after his owners’ college town.
- Tahoe (6) is a terrier from Chapel Hill who loves to sunbathe.
- Wallace (6 months) is a golden retriever from Raleigh who loves to run after tennis balls but not retrieve them.
- Uki (5) is a husky, pit bull and boxer mix from Raleigh who loves going on long walks and meeting people.
- Olive (6) is a miniature beagle. She was rescued from a breeding operation after being forced to deliver several litters. Her human says her hobby is “making a variety of interesting odors.”
- Marple (4) is a foxhound mix from Chapel Hill. Her owner says: “Living with Marple is like living with a grad student. She is always on alert, trying to stay on top of what is happening, who is doing what and nervous when things change.”
- Ted (15) is a mutt from Durham. He loves eating peanut butter, and he always licks his paws after eating it.
- Sara (13) is a beagle, boxer and lab mix. She was a rescue from the Wake County SPCA.
- Pogue (4) is a cocker spaniel from Cary. Pogue loves hiding biscuits.
- Coco (11) is a golden retriever. Her human says “she loves to sneak into the back creek when we’re not watching.”
- Lacey (1.5) is a miniature schnauzer from Apex. She likes to play fetch with a tennis ball and loves belly rubs.
- Gio Versace (6 months) is a papillion from Cary who likes watching WRAL.
- Bodhi (14 months) is a Welsh terrier from Cary. His favorite hobby is playing with his older brother, Loki.
- Tyrion (7) is a Pekingese from Raleigh who likes watching football and napping.
- Benji (1) is a miniature dachshund from Cary. His human says “he is a tiny, cuddly, people lover but has a bark triple his size!”
Stay tuned for our next cutest pet contest, which will feature the area’s adorable cats and kittens!
This story was originally published October 15, 2024 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Who’s the Triangle’s top dog? Meet the ‘foster fail’ crowned the cutest pup in our contest."
.jpg)