Edmonton Humane Sucity

Vote for your favorite shelter star dog

Now, it is time for readers to pick the top dog. On this page you'll find a box on the left hand side where you can vote for the top dog. Cats are on a separate page.

The pets who came in from the cold

While of many cats and dogs were nominated for the contest, a similar thread runs through their stories. Adopted pets seem to give back to their families in many ways.

Take Ezzy, the dog, and Jacob, her cat pal. Once surviving as strays in the cold, they can stay together now because Amber Gunderson adopted the pair. "They're so important to each other," she says. "They sleep on Ezzy's dog bed. Jacob cleans Ezzy's ears. They eat out of the same bowl. They're very affectionate with each other, with our other pets and with us."

Ezzy was found in the cold last winter with a broken leg. She was hungry, but the husky mix kept on nursing five puppies — and one kitten.

Emmy was old, had a severe case of heart worm and was nearly toothless.

Maria had been spray painted and the tip of her tail was cut off.

Shelters are temporary homes for 6 million to 8 million animals, according to the ASPCA . Many family pets end up in shelters or with rescue groups because their owners don't know how to care for them, or they have behavior issues or special needs and their care is too expensive. About 4 million are euthanized in shelters each year, according to Betsy Banks Saul, founder of Petfinder.com.

The 10 finalists get a special edition mug with the winners' names and photos on it.

Remember you can only vote for one dog and one cat. We encourage you to read all the stories before you pick one. You'll find the voting boxes to the left of the story.

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