Rocco Beats Out Hundreds of Wagging Tails to Become 'Top Dog'
For Immediate Release:
November 9, 2011
Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382
East Greenwich, R.I. -- After more than 1,000 votes were submitted to help PETA select the cutest mutt in America, Rocco beat out nine other finalists to be crowned the winner of PETA's third annual Cutest Mutt Alive contest. Rocco, whose guardian is 12-year-old East Greenwich resident Sarah Vican, edged out more than 650 other lovable mutts to become a finalist. PETA created the contest to show that all dogs—whether they're purebreds or mutts—are created equal and that the kindest thing a person can do for dogs is to adopt one from an animal shelter. Rocco will be featured on PETA.org, and along with the title, Rocco and his guardian will receive a "Mutts Rule" T-shirt, a copy of Ingrid E. Newkirk's book Let's Have a Dog Party!, tasty dog treats, and a framed certificate.
"Rocco is living proof that the dog—not the papers that accompany him—is all that matters," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "All rescued mutts are winners in PETA's book because when it comes to giving and appreciating love, nobody does it better."
Rocco—whose full name is Rocco Diogge (pronounced "D-O-G") Mandozzi (because, according to Sarah, "He's the man!")—is neutered, and he's about 3 years old. Sarah's mother found him on an adoption website after he'd been rescued from the streets of New Jersey. Rocco loves to play fetch and go for car rides, which he's convinced are intended solely for his enjoyment. He also has a dedicated tone of voice for each emotion, and each is remarkably similar to a human voice expressing those same feelings, according to his guardian. Sarah sums up her loving relationship with Rocco best: "A brother and sister who are also best friends," she says. "I can't remember my life before him!"
Why are mutts top dogs with PETA? Every time someone buys a purebred from a breeder or a pet store, a shelter animal loses his or her chance at finding a home. Every year in the U.S., an astounding 6 to 8 million dogs and cats end up in animal shelters, and roughly half must be euthanized because there simply aren't enough good homes for them. Most of the millions of dogs who are abandoned and euthanized are mutts.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.