We found the cutest dog in Illinois. Get to know BND readers’ pick, a puppy named Zoey

With more than 2,200 of the 3,704 votes in the final round of the BND’s cutest dog photo contest , Zoey, a husky/pomeranian mix (pomsky), has been crowned the winner.

“My boys are super excited about Zoey being the cutest dog. They told me that they already knew how cute she was but wanted everyone else to see,” Chelsea Lynch, an Edwardsville resident and Zoey’s owner, wrote the BND in an email.

Lynch’s family has two older dogs at home and decided to search for a puppy when the younger of their dogs became less playful with age, with the goal of her sons having someone to play with. They decided on a “pomsky,” as the husky part of the lineage tends to bring high energy , and found a breeder in Missouri.

“We did a lot of research about what dogs would have the most energy. I don’t know if that’s always positive or not, but having two boys, maybe if we find a dog with a lot of energy they’ll make each other tired, which is not true. They both go all day,” Lynch said in an earlier interview.

Zoey was born in April and is almost 6 months old. She currently weighs in at 18 pounds, and is expected to grow to about 26 pounds as an adult.

“She really likes to play fetch a lot,” Lynch said.

While Zoey was spayed recently and isn’t supposed to be playing too much right now, she’s remained her energetic self.

“She’ll just bring you the ball and throw it at you, and if you don’t throw it at her she picks it up and she’ll throw it herself with her mouth,” Lynch said.

Fetch isn’t the only activity in which Zoey expects full cooperation from her humans.

“She really loves to give high-fives,” Lynch said. “She will sit there with her paw up just waiting for you to high-five her, and if you don’t high-five her, then she just gets all upset.”

While some small dog mixes have a reputation for being picky eaters , Zoey is happy to chow down on the treats her humans give her.

“Zoey is full of love and has a huge personality. She loves giving high fives and lots of licks. She loves playing in water and chasing bugs around the fields,” Lynch said in the initial survey.

The cutest dog in Illinois poll was open to all BND subscribers. Subscriptions support our daily local news efforts , as well as our in-depth investigative reporting . Unlimited digital access to the BND is currently available for 99 cents for the first month of your subscription, with a $15.99 monthly charge after.

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