Kentucky’s cutest dog is a corgi with a mischievous streak. Meet Lilly, our poll winner
Forty submissions, weeks of polls and several thousand votes from Herald-Leader subscribers have finally brought us to this moment: It’s time to crown the cutest dog in Kentucky.
With more than 11,000 subscriber votes in her favor in the championship round, an energetic corgi pup named Lilly vaulted to the top.
Lilly, who lives with her family in southern Woodford County, persisted through weekly elimination rounds and clearly captured the hearts of many Herald-Leader subscribers. In the final round against a distinguished husky/poodle mix named Carl, Lilly won with 11,362 votes against Carl’s 4,070.
This follows our previous series of polls in which we crowned the cutest cat in Kentucky. In both polls, anyone could submit their pet to the competition, but voting was limited to Herald-Leader subscribers, who were allowed to vote as many times as they liked.
In her winning photo, then-12 week old Lilly can be seen posing outside, which is her favorite place to be as a small dog who often gets the “zoomies,” according to Lilly’s owner, Pam Lucas.
Lucas, a 55-year-old elementary school teacher, said she and her husband are proud of how far Lilly has come.
“We’re just really elated,” Lucas told the Herald-Leader in a Jan. 2 interview.
Lilly isn’t the first corgi Lucas and her husband have owned, but she certainly represents a change of pace, Lucas said.
“We had a male corgi named Wiggles, and he became ill and passed away a little over a year ago,” Lucas said. “We had another dog, a red heeler named Wheezy… She was lonely and we wanted to get her a friend to play with, and so we got Lilly.”
The two were just getting used to each other as friends when Lucas said Wheezy died, as well.
Lilly is the first puppy Lucas has owned in a while, and there’s been a bit of an adjustment around the house, though a welcome one. She came from a breeder in Western Kentucky, Lucas said.
“It’s quite entertaining and very tiring. She’s full of energy, and she’s constantly on the go,” Lucas said. “Our other dog, she was 11 years old… So she was more laid back and calm.”
Lucas lives on a few acres in Nonesuch, a hamlet in southern Woodford County, which works perfectly for Lilly. Now about 16-weeks-old, Lilly’s hobbies include chasing rabbits and butterflies outside.
“She and our grandson go out. They stomp in the puddles and run through the woods,” Lucas said. “(They) have a great time.”
Lilly also has a bit of a mischievous streak, Lucas said.
“I think her favorite hobby of all is stealing socks and shoes,” Lucas said. “She’ll try to take your socks off your feet… She’ll take it, and she’ll throw it up in the air and then go catch it.
It’s a sign Lilly has made herself at home with Lucas and her family, who feel “blessed” to have Lilly around.
“We’re so happy to have her,” Lucas said.
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