Max Voted Toronto’s Top Dog, Small Dog Category Winner

The 28 finalists for Toronto’s Top Dog took the red carpet on Tuesday, December 12th at a black tie event hosted by Tom & Sawyer Fresh Prepared Pet Meals (1247 Queen St. E., Toronto). The contest, presented by Toronto Dog Walking, received hundreds and hundreds of submissions. The 28 finalists were selected by public voting as well as by a panel of judges who looked at the quality of photos submitted, the overall cuteness of the pups, and the blurb explaning why each dog loves their city of Toronto. The finalists then went head to head in a public campaign for votes and 7 category winners, as well as Toronto’s Top Dog, were announced at Tuesday’s event:

Toby for Puppy

Leeloo for Tiny Dog

Max for Small Dog

Kai for Medium Dog

Fanny for Large Dog & Toronto’s Top Dog

Bentley for Extra Large Dog

Mila for Senior Dog

Max, winner of the small dog category, is an almost-two-year-old Westiepoo co-owned by Tracy Cann and Jacqueline Sadler. He’s the mascot for ShaggyPup Productions, a Toronto-based theatre company currently producing Menopause The Musical, and was out on a cross-Canada tour with the company when the finalists for Toronto’s Top Dog were announced. Not only were his ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’ all voting and rallying for him but, during a couple of performances in Ottawa, Max was brought onstage during the preshow announcement and the audience was asked to vote. “I’m fairly certain this is why he won,” Cann told Bored Panda. “That, and he has friends and family throughout the country (and beyond) who just adore him. He definitely had a lot of people voting for him.”

Max was especially excited to meet the other finalists Tuesday evening. Cann assures us, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen dogs in dresses and tuxedos wrestling on the red carpet.”

Follow Max on Instagram at @max_i._million.

And follow Toronto Dog Walking on Facebook and Instagram at @torontodogwalking for more information on the finalists, the contest, the judges, and the incredible sponsors.