Now through Tuesday, the Westminster Kennel Club doggedly trots out its idea of purebred perfection. But as readers of The Post have proved for the last two years, a pup doesn’t need a pedigree to be top dog. This year’s no different, as dog lovers from as far away as Cheshire, England, wrote to tell us about the mutts — many of them rescues — who brighten their lives.
“She is definitely no pedigree,” writes Upper West Sider Joe Simon of his 5-year-old Chihuahua mix, Alice. “She is missing a few teeth and has an underbite, has lopsided ears and a tail that curls up like a piglet’s. This makes her all the more beautiful to us, and we wouldn’t have her any other way!”
Meet this year’s Best in Show, mixed-breed division:
Max
Lori GeorgeBreed/age:
Beagle/shepherd, 5
Home:
The Bronx
“Max was rescued from a kill shelter in Tennessee, where he was found tied to a tree with a cut tail, drinking dirty pond water,” Lori George says of her pooch. “For recreation, he likes to chase the feral cats in the backyard, but he’s scared of the house cat.”
Juju
Eudie Pak and Matt VerzolaBreed/age:
American pit bull/Staffordshire terrier, 4
Home:
Park Slope, Brooklyn
“Despite being found at a shelter in Brooklyn, Juju’s a model breed ambassador, defying pit bull stereotypes with her gentle Zen-like disposition,” boast Juju’s roommates, Eudie Pak and Matt Verzola. “Juju offers ‘head butts’ for hugs and never tires of getting belly rubs.”
Piglet
Lindsey BlissBreed/age:
English bulldog/Australian shepherd, 12 weeks
Home:
Glendale, Queens
“He was rescued from a pigpen (literally) in Virginia and driven to a foster home in New Jersey,” writes Lindsey Bliss of her pup Piglet. “I saw his eyes in a photo and knew I needed to have him.”
Alice
“She is the best little lady,” boasts proud papa Joe Simon. “She loves to wear all kinds of outfits and is even adept at running in her snow booties!”
Augie
Holden WitkoffBreed/age:
Shar-Pei/beagle, 9 months
Home:
Upper West Side
“I got Augie at a pet store in Riverhead, LI,” writes Holden Witkoff. “The man working at the store said that Khloé Kardashian came in filming her show and Augie was her favorite. Thankfully, he is not on reality TV, but, instead, in my home.”
Ike Davis
Meghan LearyBreed/age:
Chihuahua/mini pinscher, 2
Home:
Saratoga Springs, NY
“When we rescued him, I never believed [former Met] Ike would get traded so we went with it,” says lifelong fan Meghan Leary. “I guess he’s the only Ike Davis wearing a Mets jacket now. My mom tried calling him Curtis Granderson for a week, and it didn’t work. He likes Ike.”
Jack Jack
johnnyfoto.com / @johnnyfotoBreed/age:
Jack Russell terrier/Yorkshire terrier, 10
Home:
East Village
“Jack Jack is an unrecognized world-class athlete,” quips owner Johnny Angelillo, “because leaping over the coffee table to get at a piece of chicken is not an Olympic sport.”
Jax
Stephanie MartucciBreed/age:
Australian shepherd mix, 7
Home:
NoMad
“I rescued my pup Jax from Auburn, Alabama, seven years ago when I was a sophomore at Auburn University,” writes Stephanie Martucci. “He’s turned from a country frat boy into quite the city gentleman. He is the definition of loyal and even lets me be the big spoon. He’s likely the reason I am still single . . . and I’m OK with that.”
Curie
Karen LeungBreed/age:
Pomeranian/husky, 11 months
Home:
Brooklyn
“Not only is Curie my first dog, but she is my partner in crime,” writes Karen Leung. “She drives me crazy and damages everything in sight, but it is worth it when she licks me when I come home.”
Parnel
Marie GiovannielloBreed/age:
unknown, 4
Home:
Monroe, NJ
“He was rescued from a kill shelter in Tennessee two years ago, where he was on death row and sick with heartworm,” Marie Giovanniello says of her mutt, Parnel. “He made a beautiful recovery and brings happiness to us every day.”
Ladybug
Veronica Thew and Tom HynesBreed/age:
Pit bull/Labrador, 3
Home:
Brooklyn Heights
“Ladybug is very considerate,” contends Veronica Thew. “Instead of barking out loud, she gets our attention with a silent bark so unique that we’ve coined it ‘the Ladybark.’ She is a lovebug with multiple boyfriends in the neighborhood.”
Bear
Samantha NewmanBreed/age:
Beagle mix, 18 months
Home:
Upper East Side
“Bear is energetic and brings a smile to anyone he meets,” says Samantha Newman. “Having a dog with such a passion for making others happy is infectious and makes me feel like the luckiest owner in the world.”
Camille, Buster and Buckwheat
Barbara E. SanchezBreed/age:
unknown
Home:
Red Hook, Brooklyn
Mom Camille (from right) and her two mixed-breed babies, Buster and Buckwheat, frequently trick passersby who mistake them for purebreds. “Lots of people have wanted to breed with Buster as he looks like a purebred,” says Barbara Sanchez. “Buster’s now become a therapy dog and we visit nursing homes in the area.”
Augie
Pam BieberBreed/age:
Cavalier King Charles/poodle, 5
Home:
Edgemont, NY
“I call my dog my furry shadow, she follows me all over the house,” writes Pam Bieber. “She’s sweet and loving, and lives for belly rubs and ear scratches.”
Finnegan
Celeste FredaBreed/age:
Lab/greyhound/other, 5
Home:
Bayonne, NJ
“I’m so thankful for my gentle loving boy, and so happy he has the best disposition of any dog I’ve ever known,” writes Celeste Freda. “The only time I’ve ever seen him growl was when a stranger was following us on a walk and got too close for comfort.”
Hudson
Linda CovelloBreed/age:
Maltese/poodle/Yorkie, 4
Home:
Chelsea
Named after the Hudson River, where his owners got engaged, this mutt is “smart and cuddly, and he loves to sit on the sofa and watch television,” writes his “grandmother” and frequent dog-sitter, Linda Covella.
Hershey
John FeinbergBreed/age:
Golden shepherd/beagle, 8
Home:
Mount Sinai, NY
“He’s a very loving dog who loves to give me kisses in the morning when I wake up, and when I go to bed at night,” says John Feinberg. “He’s also pretty unique — he has six toes on each paw.”
Toby
Deborah and Mark EgertonBreed/age:
Border collie/Staffordshire bull terrier, 3
Home:
Cheshire, UK
“He is very sociable and loves to play with his doggie friends,” says Deborah Egerton. “He’s very spoiled, as he’s our baby.”
Sampson
Maureen FaragoBreed/age:
American Staffordshire/husky, 2
Home:
North Salem, NY
“Sampson loves carrots, cuddling, playing with tennis balls, eating snow and taking long walks on the beach — the Mohegan Bluffs at Block Island are his favorite,” writes Maureen Farago. “And he can wear his ears back, crooked and up, depends on his mood!”



