Meet the 6 Inspiring Dogs Who Won Rocky Kanaka’s 2025 Rescue Photo Contest
The results are in from Rocky Kanaka’s annual Rescue & Shelter Dog Photo Contest and 2025’s winners have been announced!
A celebration of the magic rescue dogs bring to our lives, this yearly contest invites dog owners to submit photos of their rescue pups along with a blurb about what makes them special. Viewers get to vote for their favorite dog, and humans submitting their pups for consideration can even rally friends and family to help support them in the contest.
🥇 Third Place: Harlie CoCoa Beans Nutile
Three-year-old Husky x German Shepherd mix Harlie earned third place with 1,721 votes and one eye! Harlie had a rough start, and was abandoned in a home before being found and brought to a shelter. After a failed adoption that ended one day after it started, Harlie’s real forever family finally found her.
“She instantly locked eyes with our son and he wasn’t leaving without her,” says Harlie’s human, Julie. “When we adopted her she had 2 working eyes but due to primary glaucoma she recently had to have one eye removed…no matter how many working eyes she has she is LOVED and loving her best life!”
A whip-smart dog who is full of energy and loves treats, Harlie is always on the lookout for a tasty snack. Her humans say that when they watch Rocky Kanaka’s YouTube series Sitting With Dogs, Harlie will perk up any time Rocky says “treat!”
Congratulations on third place, Harlie—thanks for sharing your story!
🥇 Second Place: Derek
In second place with 2,837 votes is Derek, a total snuggle bug from Texas whose humans say “his only mission in life is to be a best friend to every person that he meets…well, and also to avoid bath time however possible.”
Found wandering alone on a scalding hot summer day in Houston, Derek is now living the good life and has spent most of his post-adoption days enjoying long walks, belly rubs, and plenty of cheese! His gentle personality is obvious even in this photo, just look at how sweet he looks all snuggled up on the couch.
Congratulations on second place—Derek’s loving nature has earned him lots of love in return!
🏆 First Prize Winner: Bandit
Bandit is 2025’s Rescue & Shelter Dog Photo Contest winner, earning first place with an impressive 3,044 votes! It isn’t just Bandit’s incredible good looks or amazing sense of style that earned him this year’s grand prize, his inspiring story is most certainly what caught so many voters’ attention.
Bandit spent the first seven years of his life outdoors in all weather—rain, cold, and even extreme heat—with no bed or regular access to water. Fed and given a drink only once a day, Bandit certainly never received affection, toys, treats, or any of the things a dog should have.
Eventually, Blair, a family of the person keeping (and barely caring for) Bandit had had enough. When they were asked to take care of Bandit when the owners went out of town, Blair and her husband quickly agreed, but instead took Bandit to their home and away from the yard where he had been neglected for so long.
Blair and her husband already had a Pitbull at home who was often selective with other dogs, but they feared that if they didn’t step in to help, Bandit would continue to lead a painful life. To their surprise, their dog Ruby immediately bonded with Bandit, and the two became inseparable. Seeing that Blair, her husband, and Ruby could provide a better home for Bandit, his original owners agreed to give him up when they returned from vacation.
Bandit has come a long way since he was rescued. Originally weighing 57 pounds, Bandit is now a healthy 74 pounds and loves going on walks as much as he enjoys sleeping in a king size bed. His life has made a 180, but his humans say he is the real hero here.
Eight months after adopting Bandit, Ruby—Blair and her husband’s original dog—was diagnosed with lymphoma, and vets were uncertain but not optimistic about her lifespan. Blair believes that the relationship Ruby formed with Bandit helped to give her more time following her diagnosis, and that her time with him was some of the best of her life.
“Ruby fell so in love with having her best friend Bandit, that her will to be a puppy again and live as long as she could [gave her] another year and 9 months of life even with her cancer,” says Blair, Bandit and Ruby’s human. “We know that we rescued Bandit, but Bandit rescued Ruby and gave her the last two years of her life with a best friend.”
You’ve earned first prize and more, Bandit—thank you for sharing your magic with us!
🏆 Judges’ Choice: Mercury
The judges chose two amazing dogs who really stood out to them, and one of those awesome dogs is Mercury! It’s clear why this sweet pup caught the judges’ eye—despite a broken back that impacted the use of his back legs, Mercury is still tearing up the neighborhood on his wheels and isn’t about to slow down because of his disability.
Mercury was hit by a car in Mexico, which is how he sustained his back injury. After being brought to a rescue in Southern California for care, Mercury has made an amazing recovery and now lives with his adoptive humans. A cuddly and affectionate little dog, his humans say he’s happiest when he’s on the go. Luckily his wheels can go almost anywhere including hikes and trips to the beach!
We’re so glad you’re loving life, Mercury—congratulations on winning Judges’ Choice!
🏆 Judges’ Choice: Rooster
Rooster is the second winner of the Judges’ Choice prize, and it was well earned! Handsome Rooster’s humans may have adopted him, but they didn’t make the decision themselves—Rooster was the one who chose them.
Originally visiting the shelter to meet and possibly adopt a different dog, Rooster lept into their car through the window and sat right down, basically saying “I’m ready to go home!” Since then, Rooster has been a vital member of his family, and not just as a companion. Rooster’s human has multiple sclerosis and experiences seizures, and he has learned how to help and comfort her during an episode.
Congratulations on your win and choosing the perfect forever family, Rooster—what a good boy!
⭐️ Shelter Dog Winner: Daniel
The winner of the shelter dog prize is Daniel, an adorable Bulldog mix puppy who earned his rescue $1,000 with his adorable little face! Daniel is super social and tries to befriend everyone—human, dog, cat, and squirrel alike. Less than six months old, Daniel has a lot of growing and learning to do, but his shelter carers can already tell he’s going to be the sweetest boy when he grows up!
Submitted by A Home Of Their Own Animal Rescue operating in Maryland and the DC Metro Area, we’re happy to announce that Daniel has since been adopted, but there are still plenty of shelter dogs waiting for their forever families.
All participants in 2025’s contest received a $10 voucher for The Dog Bakery as a ‘thank you’ for submitting a photo. The first place winner and the judges’ choice winners received extra special grand prizes featuring gift cards, merch, dog treats, food from Sundays for Dogs, coffee from Flip Coffee, and more.
Animal shelters were also invited to participate this year by submitting photos of adoptable dogs searching for homes. The adoptable pup with the most votes earned their shelter a $1,000 cash prize!
If these photos and stories of rescue dogs have inspired you, consider visiting your local rescue to meet the resident dogs—your new best friend is waiting!
