Rebecca: A lovely canine princess (as you can see by her lovely crown), Rebecca was described by her loving owner as the "sunshine" in every day. She is loving, sweet and loves to give kisses and snuggles. She is also described as "quite barky" for a Cavalier King Charles dog. Something that her best friend finds quite charming! Rebecca is credited with helping her owner to recover from cancer. She is a special little dog and we think she will make a lovely rubber stamp.

 

Angelina & Taffy: According to their doting human, Angelina is a gentle soul who likes to look into your eyes when you speak to her. After this pampered princess' nightly massage, she slides into bed, curls up, places her paw on her owner's hand and falls fast asleep. How sweet is THAT?!

Taffy, on the other hand, is a comic who walks with her tail curled up, on tip toe, with her nose perpetually sniffing to see if treats are on the menu!

Belle: Adopted from a RSPCA rescue centre, Belle had a rough start in life. According to her devoted human, she's a tiny cat in every way except her belly! Belle can't meow like a normal cat, instead she makes a tiny little eh, eh sound instead. Belle's a very affectionate feline and gets very jealous if her human is talking on the phone. She tries to knock the phone out of her hand.

Morgan: AKA Milkbone Morgie - is described by her human as a happy go lucky senior golden retriever (shes almost 10) who enjoys swimming, swimming & more swimming (with an occasional milkbone tossed in on a frisbee, or something like that). We loved Morgan's sincere smile and his scary halloween costume too. Avast Me Hearties!

Autumn: Adored by her devoted human, this beautiful little rat baby melted the hearts of our judges at first sight. We especially liked her bright eyes and inquisitive expression. Her tiny paws and nose were a delightful bonus.

Seven: Described by her loving human as a handful of trouble, this beautiful pup's doleful expression and stately pose made her hard to resist.

 

Maggie Mouse: Described by her devoted human as posessing the "warmest, most affectionate and caring soul the Lord could ever give to one of his little creatures," Maggie Mouse brought tremendous joy and love to all the lives she touched. She was intelligent, beautiful, and so very loved.

Lily: This lovely chinchilla enjoys scratches under her chin and belly and running in her wheel. We are sure she gets plenty of attention as she is fortunate enough to have been adopted by a very loving human who keeps her well supplied with favorite treats, like the alfalfa slim she's enjoying in this photo.

Jorge: Despite his "diminuitive appearance," Jorge is described as a "big dog." He enjoys cuddling with his humans, walking outdoors, and standing guard at the window to "keep the dangerous world at bay." His protection services are appreciated by his family, and extended family. He adores his canine cousin Tucker and is adored by all who know him, for obvious reasons. Jorge confided to us that he expects to be showered with treats for winning this year's RubberHedgehog.Com Star Search Contest. Well, let the rain/reign of treats begin; this handsome fellow deserves every mouthful.

 

Peanut: Though it is hard to believe anyone would not want to cuddle and pet this precious "Peanut", before she was adopted by her current family, she had never been handled, and had been in a room all alone since she was born. Fortunately for Peanut, she was adopted by a very loving human who rescued her from that lonely life. Now, she gets all of the attention she deserves and has lots of friends who adore her.

Dasher: Dasher had three strikes against him when his adoptive human found him at the SPCA. "He was a senior, black and was heartworm positive." Dasher's devoted human tells us that she was still grieving the loss of another beloved pet when she first saw him, and that "Dasher looked as sad as I felt and that's why I took him home." Dasher is now heartworm free, and he is living a happy, healthy life with a family who loves and cherishes him. We love a happy ending, and Dasher looks very very HAPPY!

Our 2008 Pet Lover's Star Search

Honorable Mention

(these are just a few of the pets whose most precious of faces made our choice so difficult this year - seriously, it was painful that we couldn't choose them all!), in no particular order.

Barbie & Harley

Chester

Sweet Pea

Ursula & Simon

Salem

Fraggle

Niko

Bean

Pesky

Petal

Jinxie & Bailey

Ted E. Bear