Meet Margot, the Winner of the 2024 World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest

This summer, People Magazine and the Pedigree brand paired up for the seventh year of the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog Contest. Thousands of people from across the country sent in photos of their precious pups along with their adoption stories, and People narrowed the entries down to ten finalists. The world voted, and there’s now an official winner of the 2024 World’s Cutest Rescue Dog Contest: a cuddly three-year-old Pit Bull named Margot.

Margot’s pet parent, Julia Zupan, had been volunteering at Cincinnati Animal CARE when she saw Margot’s photo posted to the shelter’s Facebook page, reported People Magazine. She was struck by the pup’s two different colored eyes — one brown and one blue.

The pair immediately fell in love after Margot visited Zupan’s home, and Zupan officially adopted Margot two days after their first meeting. “I wasn’t looking for a dog,” Zupan told People. “But I just knew that I couldn’t give this one up.”

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Zupan added that Margot is a super-friendly pup who loves meeting new people. “I have just never met such a cuddly dog,” Zupan said.

Margot's sweet demeanor has garnered a following on her TikTok account, @MargotTheRescue (she currently has nearly 80,000 followers!) . Zupan also uses the account raise awareness for the importance of dog training and patience; Margot’s a leash-reactive dog, so she can sometimes become frustrated and overactive on walks. “Margot struggles with her emotions a little bit, but she’s the best dog no matter what,” Zupan told People. “She has made me so much more compassionate and understanding of others.”

Voters agreed that Margot’s a special pup, and their votes, along with judges from People, The Talk, and the Pedigree brand crowned Margot the 2024 World’s Cutest Rescue Dog. Her winnings include a year’s supply of Pedigree brand dog food and a $1,000 donation to the animal shelter of Zupan’s choice. Zupan selected Cincinnati Animal CARE, the shelter where she first discovered Margot, as the recipient of the prize money.