Pawnouncing the Winners of the i Love Pit Bulls Photo Contest!

A big thank you to everyone who entered photos of their gorgeous Pittie pawls in our i Love Pit Bulls photo contest.

Contest judge Michelle Sathe, author of “Pit Stops: Crossing the Country with Loren the Rescue Bully,” and who’s currently on another cross-country road trip with Kara the Pit Bull, told us her job wasn’t easy.

“They’re all so darned cute,” she said.

So without further pawdo, here are Sathe’s pic picks for 1st and 2nd place!

1st Place: Dexter

Dexter

“Pit Bulls scary? Hardly. This silly boy personifies the goofy nature of the breed,” Sathe said.

Dexter’s dog mom, Sarah, calls her Pit Bull a “true breed ambassador” and her “bomb-proof” dog.

“He loves dogs and other people (especially puppies), and was a regular at several Wilmington, N.C., bars before we moved to Richmond, Va.,” Sarah says.

She adopted Dexter four years ago, when he was 6 years old.

“Since then, we’ve camped on the beaches of North Carolina, braved the winters of Michigan, raised a few litters of orphaned kittens and put more miles on my car than I’d like to recall.”

Sathe noted, “Just look at Dexter’s big grin and wiggly body! Getting adopted later in life didn’t deter his joyful spirit one bit.”

2nd Place: Butch

Butch

Butch was found four years ago, tied up outside a trailer after the owner moved away. He was not neutered, had mange and the rope was starting to dig into his neck.

After he was rescued, Butch became the demonstration dog for a local humane society – his dog dad trained the pet parents and their dogs, while Butch and his dog mom, Jamie, demonstrated the commands.

“A regal, handsome dog who overcame a rough start and ended up training other homeless canines at his owners’ local humane society on proper canine behavior, Butch is a stellar ‘ambassadog,’” Sathe said.

Butch loves going for hikes with his Whippet pawls, sleeping in the sun and, most of all, cuddling. “What I love about Butch is that he changes the minds of everyone he meets about the Pit Bull breed,” said Jamie.

Honorable Mention: Leah

Leah

Based on your “Likes” in our i Love Pit Bulls Facebook photo album, the winner of an honorable mention prize for the fan favorite – by a landslide – is Leah.

The 13-year-old Staffordshire still loves the outdoors and camping.

“This is a picture of Leah passed out in the back of the car, belly up, mouth open, after a long weekend doing what she loves to do,” says her dog mom, Sheena.

Although Leah isn’t trained as a therapy dog, Sheena says she lets her know when her blood sugar is getting dangerously low. “While she’s out enjoying herself, doing what a dog does, she’s also helping me to get back into doing the things I love to do,” Sheena says.

Dexter and Butch will each receive i Love Dogs Reishi with Green Tea plus a coupon good for a 50-percent discount on their pet parents’ next purchase of i Love Dogs vitamins and supplements. Leah will receive an i Love Dogs bag filled with goodies.

Kudos to our judge, Michelle Sathe, and all the great work she does on behalf of Pit Bulls. You can keep up with Sathe’s road-trip adventures with Kara on her Pit Stops Blog, and meet the two at these upcoming book signings (check PitStopsBook.com for more dates).

Saturday, June 11
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Indianapolis Humane Society
7929 Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN

3-8 p.m.
Circle City IN Pride Festival
Indy Pit Crew booth
American Legion Mall
700 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN

Sunday, June 12
2-5 p.m.
Kriser’s For Your Pet
100 W Higgins Rd STE L-20, South Barrington, IL

Monday, June 13
5-7 p.m.
Kriser’s For Your Pet, Bucktown
1658 N Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 60647

Saturday, June 18
3-6 p.m.
Idaho Falls Animal Shelter
2450 Hemmert Ave, Idaho Falls, ID

“Pit Stops: Crossing the Country with Loren the Rescue Bully” is available exclusively at pitstopsbook.com.

Laura Goldman

Laura Goldman is senior social media writer for i Love Dogs, Inc. She does love dogs. And elephants and turtles. Along with writing about the loves of her life, Laura likes to play with her two pound pups and tell anyone who’ll listen just how awesome Pit Bulls are.