Have we found the cutest dog in Illinois? Vote now in final round of our contest!
Voting is now open for round two of the News-Democrat’s contest to find the cutest dog in Illinois, and five pups have progressed to the final of our competition.
Readers may vote as many times as they wish, using the polling feature below, by refreshing the page. Votes reset after each round.
Voting for the second round will last until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30.
A note: this poll is not scientific — it’s just for fun! We will announce our winner Monday, Nov. 3.
The winner of our contest will appear in a news story on Bnd.com and move on to a nationwide round this fall to find the cutest pets across McClatchy News’ U.S. market.
Some of the pets’ fun facts had to be shortened to fit in the poll. Here’s what to know about each canine contestant:
- Roxy is shih tzu who loves doing zoomies, stealing treats and napping with her human dad.
- Tommy is a Chinese crested dog who serves as household security patrol. In his spare time, he likes lots of cuddles and brushing.
- Binny’s full first name is Binnington. He is a 6-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and he was born around the time the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, hence the name after the goalie! Binny is fun-loving, sweet, and very intelligent. He can retrieve his toys by their names. He doesn’t go anywhere without his favorite “Giggles”. As you can see in the picture. I call it his big pacifier! We have a lot of laughs with him, and he was a life saver during the COVID shutdown.
- Abraxos “Brax” is a chihuahua dachshund mix (”chiweenie”) who failed college level training class because he can’t stop himself from wanting to love everyone he meets.
- Daisy is a Kelpie who loves to walk! All day, if possible!
In our 2024 cutest dog photo contest, a husky/pomeranian mix puppy named Zoey took the crown, with more than 2,200 votes in the contest’s final round. If you’re interested in some of our other previous bracket competitions, don’t miss southwestern Illinois’ choice for the best coffee shop or top pizza parlor.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 10:51 AM.
