Top Dogs Selected

Surprisingly, there was no barking. But there was lots of panting. It’s a bit much to take in such attention all at once, but the Top Dog winners took it all in stride.

The Top Dog contest is in its eleventh year, and this year there were about 20 four-legged contenders. In the end, there could only be four winners. A panel makes the selection.

This year’s winners included Mindy, an 11-month old basset hound, who was named cutest. Her owners are Richard and Janice Johnston.

“When I first got her I could put her in my coat pocket,” said Richard Johnston.

They also brought their other dog, Tiffany, 11, also a basset hound. Mindy was given dog tag No. 3.

There were two winners this year for cutest and the other winner was French bulldog Brody, 11 months. Brody’s owners are Jacqui Leopold and Sean Askham. Brody was given tag No. 2.

The dog that looked most like its owner went to Katherine Dzenko and her Australian labradoodle, 11 months, named Genevieve. Katherine was there with her parents, Kirk and Karen. Genevieve was given dog tag No. 1.

The smallest dog was 3.5-pound Cosette, a five-year-old toy poodle, owned by Kathy Fitzpatrick. When Fitzpatrick first got Cosette, she calls her Cosi, the dog weighed 1.5 pounds. She was given tag No. 4.

If you’d like to have a winning pooch, it may mean a move to Beldenwood Road, as two of the four winners live on that street (Mindy and Cosette).

Before passing out the tags, Chief of Police Peter N. Ingvertsen, who has two 17-year-old jack Russell terriers (they are sisters), said Top Dog started as a way to remind people to register their pets and get them rabies shots, etc. (The Top Dog idea was the chief’s.) And it has proven to be popular from year to year.

“Congratulations, winners,” said Town Clerk Carolyn Keily, who handed out the tags.