SENECA COUNTY, Ohio — Every pet owner thinks their pet is the best. But, one Seneca County couple feels their dog's adoption story makes him a pup above the rest.
Three years ago, Jerry Smith met a stray dog while working at Legacy Farms near Fostoria.
He called the dog Buddy and soon realized that the pooch had been living in a nearby drainage pipe for quite a while.
"Well, he had a bunch of ticks all over him and kind of had some open sores from the ticks," Jerry said. "He wouldn't let me touch him. He'd come up to me but never let me catch him."
After being picked up by the Seneca County Dog Warden, Jerry and his wife Marquita quickly adopted him, despite his poor health.
Soon after adoption, Buddy showed his love and appreciation for his new family.
"We had another rescue dog at the time too, and he was really sick," Marquita said. "Buddy would lay by him for hours."
Now, Buddy has made it into the second round of the 2023 America's Favorite Pet competition after Marquita posted a picture of the pup sporting his signature underbite.
If Buddy wins, he'll be featured in the Dogster magazine, which runs the contest, the Smiths will receive a prize of $5,000.
Local leaders have decided to support Buddy in the competition, by proclaiming Buddy to be Seneca County Dog of the Year.
The Smiths hope all of the attention for Buddy can lead to more dogs getting adopted from shelters.
"These animals need a home," Seneca County Commissioner Tyler Shuff said. "Hopefully we can put a roof over their head and give you a family friend to watch you, support you and care about you."
Marquita said Buddy's story is one of success and is a sign of what formerly stray dogs are capable of when adopted from a shelter by a loving family.
"(We want) to get people aware of how dogs can start out really bad like (Buddy), and how far they can come," she said. "There are so many good ones that you can take home and make your pet. And they need love just like all of the other dogs or cats in the world."
Online voting for America's Favorite Pet competition kicks off on Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. and runs through Jan. 26. After signing up for free, you can vote once a day here.