Community Corner

Local Pooch Wins Big in 'Best Smile' Contest

Eagan resident Shawn Gilson's Boston Terrier, Buddy, was declared the winner of Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet's "Grin to Win" contest this week.

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It's a good thing that Buddy Gilson is a humble winner.

If not, all of her newfound fame might go straight to the 4-year-old Boston Terrier's head.

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Buddy, owned by Eagan resident Shawn Gilson, was chosen this week as the winner of Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet's "Grin to Win" contest and will reign as the company's "Happiest Pet" through May 31, 2013. The entrants in the contest were evaluated on the basis of their smile—and Buddy's toothy, charming grin won the judges over. 

"She’s taking it in stride,” Gilson said. "I got her a treat last night, that was pretty much the only benefit she’s reaped so far. She’s a pretty down-to-earth girl."

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Gilson, an Eagan resident, adopted Buddy two years ago from a niece, who was balancing school and a full-time job and could no longer care for the dog. The loving, excitable Boston Terrier fit in well with Gilson's three other pets—two cats and one miniature pinscher named Max.

One day, after giving Buddy a jerky treat, Gilson noticed her pet's unusual smile. She immediately started taking photos.

“I didn’t know if it was just because she was so darn happy with [the jerky treats] or if that's just how she chews," Gilson said. “I thought 'Oh my gosh, this was amazing.'"

In conjunction with National Pet Month in May, customers at Chuck & Don’s locations in Minnesota and Colorado were asked to submit photos of their pets smiling.

Gilson, who listens to the radio while at work, heard an advertisement for the contest and decided to submit the old photo of Buddy chewing on jerky treats at the .

To her surprise, Buddy's picture won the store's local contest and became one of 21 finalists from Minnesota and Colorado. Chuck & Don's spokesperson Chelsea Ruka said photo entries went through several rounds of internal judging before a winner was chosen. The dog was one of several hundred photos total entrants in the contest, Ruka said.

On May 26, Gilson found out via a Facebook post that Buddy had been declared the overall winner.

“I was sitting at a hotel in Mendota while my daughter was registering for school," Gilson said. "I was on Facebook, and all of sudden I saw Buddy’s picture pop up and I screamed."

Gilson won a $50 Chuck & Don's gift certificate and $50 to donate to an animal-related charity of her choice in the first round of the contest. The grand prize was a $250 Chuck & Don's gift card.

Gilson gave some of Buddy's winnings to a sister-in-law with three pets who was recently laid off from her job. The $50 donation Gilson chose to distribute to Feline Rescue. The rest, Gilson said, may go toward purchasing more jerky treats for Buddy.

"She is always just so loving and so gentle and so quiet," Gilson said. "Buddy just clicked with me."


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