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Hobie, a one-eyed rescue dog from Orange County, has been named and crowned as PEOPLE Magazine’s “World’s Cutest Rescue Dog” on Friday, October 20.
The five-year-old Terrier mix emerged triumphant in the magazine’s nationwide contest, which was presented by the PEDIGREE® brand and had more than 8,000 canine participants.
While his features make him look like a charming one-eyed teddy bear, Hobie has had a rough time before finding his forever home and being officially named the world’s cutest rescue dog.
According to PEOPLE, Hobie was rescued from the streets of Tijuana, Mexico. And when he was rescued, he had severe glaucoma, which led to the removal of his left eye.
The pooch eventually found his forever home on July 17, 2022, when Christin Bernhardt and Joern Riemer adopted him.
According to PEOPLE, Hobie’s pet parents felt like their family was incomplete after moving from Boston to California in 2022.
From then, the couple started looking for a friend for Zoe, their 15-year-old Cairn Terrier. And while browsing online, Bernhardt came across a photo of Hobie, who was then available for adoption at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter.
Bernhardt said, “He reminded me of the dog that I had when I was growing up in Germany.”
“We fell in love with him,” Bernhardt reveals after seeing the one-eyed pooch’s photo.
However, while it was love at first sight for the couple, it wasn’t the same for Hobie. Bernhardt revealed that the pooch kept barking at them during their initial visit to the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter.
But the couple was determined to win the pooch’s heart and came to the shelter almost every day for two weeks.
Reminiscing the day Hobie finally accepted them, Bernhardt said Hobie gave her “a big, slobbery kiss. . . . That was the moment where the ice broke.”
But obviously, Hobie’s pet parents weren’t the only one who fell for his charm. Because he obviously has also won the hearts of the voters and celebrity judge, Miranda Lambert, of PEOPLE Magazine’s “World’s Cutest Rescue Dog” contest.
As the contest’s grand winner, Hobie’s prize included a year’s supply of dog food from PEDIGREE® and a $1,000 donation to the animal rescue of his choice.
According to PEOPLE, Hobie’s parents decided to donate the prize money to PUP Laguna Beach, the fundraising arm of Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, aka Hobie’s previous home.
Furthermore, Hobie’s pet parents recently opened an Instagram account for the pooch to celebrate his win and to also raise awareness about adoptable pets with disabilities like Hobie.
You can follow the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog and all of his adventures on Instagram here!
