The Votes Are In, And This Is Massachusetts' Top Dog

MASSACHUSETTS—In August, we asked Massachusetts dog lovers to tell us something about their pet, submitting that story along with a photo. Sponsored by Especially for Pets, dozens entered the the contest, which was whittled down to ten finalists.

In September for nearly three weeks, the top finalists - chosen by a Patch panel of judges - battled it out to win the Top Dog title. Fluffy, lovable and all deserving of being tops, here's what our Patch readers voted for first, second and third places.

The first-place winner is receiving a $300 gift card for Especially for Pets. Second place gets a $125 gift card and third place gets a $75 gift card, also from Especially for Pets.

And with more than 400 voting in the contest, let's meet our winners!

FIRST PLACE: REMY from Chelmsford, received 50.24 percent of the vote.

This is Remy, and 11-year-old Boxer. I think he is the best dog because he is a fighter. He has been battling degenerative myelopathy for close to a year. He has been in his wheelchair for three months. He has almost no feeling in his backend. He works hard everyday keeping up with his exercises and keeping the rest of his body strong. He has taught me so much about strength and determination. He is certainly one of the best things that has happened to me. - Jenn McEwen

SECOND PLACE: TOLIVER from Natick, receiving 13.41 percent of the vote

Toliver is an 11-year-old poodle/Lab/golden rescue who has overcome a traumatic start and is thriving. She was basically feral—and depressed--when I adopted her in 2008, and afraid of everything: human touch, being inside a house, TV, telephone, cars, bicycles, strollers…and especially little children.

On her first night with me, she wouldn’t stop pacing back and forth across my house, so finally I just went to bed. I had set up a nice dog bed in the sunny corner of my office across the hall from my bedroom. When I woke up the next day, I peeked in to check on her. She was not there…and her bed was gone, too! She had dragged it all the way through the house and positioned it in the kitchen next to her water bowl. Right then she earned my utmost respect and admiration. We were officially a team. Toliver is a testament to the power of love, patience and time being powerful healing forces. (The first word that she learned was kiss. I figured “sit” could wait…) Ten years later, she is one happy dog and a poster child for animal rescue and adoption. And a total joy! - Kathryn Doran

THIRD PLACE: LUCY from Everett, formerly Malden, receiving 8.05 percent of the vote

From day one she loved me, even when I couldn't pick my head up off the table to love myself. She is a highly intelligent ball of energy who tells me what she wants when she wants it. Lucy learns tricks fast. From eight weeks, she learned sit, come and stay. She has never gone on the floor, from day one, plus pee pads! She is very obedient. She is super friendly to both dogs and people but she LOVES kids and babies. I am diagnosed with lupus and was very sick, depressed and lonely. I thought I wouldn't be able to be the kind of parent she deserved because it was hard for me to be active and I knew it required just that. I had no idea that getting her would actually cause me to become more active. Now I'm able to walk her around the whole corner, which is phenomenal compared to where I started, which was barely the end of the street. When I cry, she climbs me and showers me with kisses and nuzzles. Getting Lucy was the best decision I've ever made because she challenges me to be better physically today than I was yesterday. - Nubia Love