CT rescue dog a top 10 finalist in national cuteness contest

May 21, 2024

A rescue dog deprived of puppyhood and now living a young dog’s dream in a West Hartford home, has been named a top 10 finalist in People Magazine’s World’s Cutest Rescue Dog contest.

Jillian Gibbs, mom to dog Poppy, is hoping Connecticut residents will cast a vote for the family’s 1-year-old mixed breed dog weighing in at 40 pounds.

The magazine narrowed the field to 10 out of what Gibbs was told were 8,500 contestants. The winner will be chosen by popular vote. Voting ends Sept. 22.

Lemon, left, and Poppy, right, are rescue sisters and best friends. Poppy was recently named a top 10 finalist in People Magazine's World's Cutest Rescue Dog contest.

Rescue dogs, Lemon, left and Poppy, right, are best friends and sisters through adoption. Poppy has been named a top 10 finalist in People Magazine's World's Cutest Rescue Dog contest.

Poppy is a rescue dog with a sad back story who has been named a top 10 finalist in People Magazine's World's Cutest Rescue Dog contest..

“When she came into the house she was timid. She didn’t know how to be a puppy,” Gibbs said. “After a few weeks it was so rewarding to see her transformation.”

Gibbs, an advocate of adopting rather than shopping for dogs, found Poppy through Petfinder at A New Chance Animal Rescue out of New York.

Gibbs fell in love with Poppy because she looked just like she and husband Jon’s other rescue dog, Lemon, 3.

She said the back story was that Poppy had been picked up on the streets of North Carolina and taken to a “high kill shelter,” because conditions can be so cramped in the south.

It was apparent, Gibbs said, that at less than 1-year-old, Poppy had already birthed a litter. She guesses that whomever owned Poppy dumped her after they got the puppies.

She was rescued and flown to New York. Gibbs said when she Jon and Lemon went to meet Poppy, she didn’t even know how to play with a dog toy.

“She’s been through some things,” Gibbs said.

Today, she has a fenced in yard, lots of toys, gets to snuggle on the couch, attends doggie daycare at Planet Bark and is “best friends” with sister, Lemon.

“She gets to be they puppy she should have been a year ago,” Gibbs said. “They have all the cookies they ever want and all the love too.”

The couple, who don’t have children yet, adopted Poppy in April. Gibbs said an ad for the People Magazine contest kept popping up on Instagram, so she finally entered, sending a photo and short bio on Poppy.

“She has a sad back story and she’s so darn cute,” Gibbs said.

The prize for first place is $1,000 – which she’ll donate to Poppy’s rescue, Pedigree dog food for a year and a photo shoot with the couple and their dogs.

Even if Poppy doesn’t win, Gibbs said she’ll feel good that her girl helped bring attention to rescue dogs.

“I also think I would like to show people a rescue dog can be just as cute as ones purchased from a breeder,” she said. She is a volunteer at Dog Star Rescue in Bloomfield.

Gibbs said they rescued Lemon, also found through Petfinder at four months old, from the organization, “No Greater Love.” She too came from the south – Alabama – but doesn’t have a remarkable history that they know of.

The resemblance between the dogs is uncanny. Gibbs said DNA tests showed Poppy is a mix of 14 breeds and Lemon, a mix of 16 breeds.

Gibbs said they named Lemon as such because it’s cute, different, and they chose Poppy because it sounded good with Lemon. Gibbs is an interior designer and likes to buy the dogs lemon and flower themed accessories.

She said people like to joke they’ll get a third rescue and call it, “Muffin.”

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