Cincinnati pup crowned 'World's Cutest Rescue Dog' by People Magazine. Meet Margot here

One of the world's cutest dogs is from right here in Cincinnati.

People Magazine recently announced the winner of its World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest , and Margot, a 3-year-old rescue dog from Cincinnati Animal CARE , took the crown. The Cincinnati pup was named the winner of the 2024 competition on Wednesday, beating out more than 7,000 other dogs from across the globe.

According to the report, Margot's prize includes a year's supply of dog food from the Pedigree brand, which sponsored the contest. The local fur baby also received a $1,000 donation to the animal rescue of her choice. Margot and her owner Julia Zupan, a Cincinnati Animal Care volunteer, chose to give their winnings to the shelter where the duo first met.

Margot, a 52-pound pit bull and an American bulldog mix with one brown eye and one blue eye, was adopted by Zupan after she arranged a day trip for Margot to visit her apartment. During the visit, Margot grew fond of Zupan and even enjoyed snuggles with the 25-year-old. Zupan officially adopted Margot on Nov. 15, 2022, just two days after they met.

"I wasn't looking for a dog," Zupan told People. "But I just knew that I couldn't give this one up."

Judges from People Magazine, "The Talk" and Pedigree selected the winner of the 2024 competition. Although Margot often receives compliments from strangers, Zupan said she "was still shocked" to learn that her dog had won the title.

"I freaked out and called my mom," she said.

Margot was initially brought to the shelter after a stranger found her wandering alone in a Walmart parking lot, per the report. But Margot's unfortunate past has not stopped her from bonding with dogs and humans on and offline. The rescue is even famous on social media with more than 100,000 combined followers on TikTok and Instagram.

"She has never met a stranger. She loves every single person," Zupan added.

Zupan stated that Margot loves to display her "silly and very affectionate side" online to her thousands of fans. She also uses her platform to highlight training issues, like leash reactiveness.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati pup crowned 'World's Cutest Rescue Dog' by People Magazine. Meet Margot here