Presented by Happy Hounds Dog Care Center, 1651 Skyway Drive, Longmont, 303.774.8158
Longmont certainly has no shortage of canine companions – and they’re all adorable in their own ways. We had so many submissions, the decision was extremely difficult to make, but readers came through and here they are: Longmont’s cutest dogs! The winner, Happy, will be receiving a $200 gift certificate to Happy Hounds thanks to our sponsor Happy Hounds Dog Care Center, as well as a hearty congratulations from all of us. Thanks to everyone who submitted their pet photos, they were a joy to see!
Happy, 2023 Longmont’s Cutest Dogs Contest Winner
WINNER:
HAPPY
Owners: Arturo Bencosme & Leonor Toro
The Story of Happy, a Rescue Dog
By Arturo Bencosme & Leonor Toro, Happy’s owners
Photos by Jonathan Castner/Longmont Magazine
After several months of looking for the right dog for us, we found a rescue dog posted for adoption by Caring for Canines (caringforcanines.org) that we really liked in April 2021. We immediately contacted and made arrangements to go to her place in Arizona on May 6. Upon arrival, they explained that this male dog was about 1 year old and had been rescued in Mexico where most likely he had several sad experiences on the streets. He is a Standard Schnauzer & Border Terrier mix. His birth date is April 7, 2020.
It was love at first sight! We named him HAPPY. We started our return to Longmont that same day, and while we noticed that Happy seemed a bit anxious, he demonstrated being comfortable as soon as we entered our hotel room halfway home.
Happy, 2023 Longmont’s Cutest Dogs Contest Winner
Happy was quick to make himself at home in our home in Longmont. Not so when we walked him. He was overly alert and cautious and took him several months to pee and poo, and to feel safe with other dogs and people who he did not know. But his true personality and caring love for us grew fast. He has become a close buddy to our sons’ dogs, so much so, that he gets immensely excited when we drive near their places and enjoys playing with them every time we take him to visit with them.
Happy’s many qualities include being loving, playful, intelligent, active, agile and protective. He is very attentive to instructions and has a keen eye and hearing for detecting when somebody approaches our home. And he is deeply attached to us.
Happy looks forward to a ride in the car, a walk in the neighborhood or at the various parks in the area. Notably, he takes pleasure in playing on our bed when preparing to sleep, getting thrilled at making it difficult to set up the pillows as we prefer them.
It is just fascinating to watch him stalking and chasing squirrels in our backyard. Better yet, he watches TV with us and gets utterly excited when dogs or other animals show up on the screen. He also does that when seeing other dogs as we drive our car by them. Although he does not like taking showers, he enjoys the snow and tries to bite the water from a hose in the yard. Getting cozy when the three of us are together is one of his hallmarks.
Happy is now a little more than 3 years old, weighing 28 pounds and staying healthy, strong and cheerful. He has become an important member of our family. We go everywhere with him and the three of us relish being together. He honors his name bringing happiness to us continuously.
RUNNERS UP:
-
Bentley J. - Owner: Julie Jones
-
Rosco - Owner: Jessica Gaffney
-
Miss Maggie - Owner: Sharla Dierks
-
her chew toy! Owner: K Friesner
