A joyful 80-pound lapdog is the cutest pup in Bellingham area. Meet Sarge
Laura and Canaan Upton knew Sarge was special the moment they met him.
He was saved from an abusive situation — one that left him in need of medical care and rehabilitation. When the then-puppy became available for adoption through The Pittie Project PNW, a rescue, the Ferndale couple saw his profile and arranged a meet-up.
At the meet-up, “he ran right up to us. It was an immediate connection,” Laura Upton recalled.
Now 3 years old, Sarge spends his days bringing joy to those around him.
His sweet face and happy nature captured the hearts of Bellingham Herald readers, who voted him as the Whatcom County area’s cutest dog. The contest launched in October, and Sarge emerged as the winner through two rounds of voting.
More than three-dozen dogs from in and near Whatcom County were entered.
Sarge will now be entered into a second contest to determine the cutest dog in the country across more than 20 McClatchy newspapers, launching Monday, Nov. 10.
‘Very emotionally attuned’
Sarge, a breed called Black Mouth Cur, weighs about 80 pounds.
Despite his size, he fancies himself a lapdog and always wants “to be touching his people,” Laura Upton said.
He also seems to know what his humans need.
“He’s very emotionally attuned. You have a hard day and walk through the door, and he’s right there — joyful,” Upton said, adding that he’s “brought us so much joy.”
Sarge adores going on walks, and he wants to make a friend of every creature he meets.
“He loves humans. He loves animals of all kinds,” Upton said.
The goofy boy loves to zoom around the house and the furniture, according to Upton, who said he also loves adventuring on trails and beaches and chasing frisbees.
Sarge is also observant and is known to sit by the picture window at home and watch as children walk to school and airplanes and birds soar overhead.
He’s sweet and open-hearted, Upton said. He’s special.
To see him recognized by the community feels special, too, Upton said.
“It meant so much that people took time to vote for him. People taking time to recognize how cute he is and that his spirit is beautiful meant a lot to us,” Upton said.
Upton hopes people take something from Sarge’s story: that rescuing a dog can be meaningful and rewarding. “You give them so much, and they give you tenfold back,” Upton said. “He’s given us so much — to our family, our friends, everyone.”
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