Pretty toy poodle with big personality voted SLO County’s cutest dog. Meet Missy
The final votes are in, and Tribune readers have crowned San Luis Obispo County’s cutest dog.
Missy, an 8-year-old toy poodle with a feisty personality, was named the top dog in The Tribune’s 2025 cutest pet contest.
Missy’s owners said they decided to submit their “beautiful” pup for the competition after receiving tons of compliments on her appearance over the years.
When Penelope Semrau and Barb Boyer take Missy out for walks, they often have people ask if they can pet Missy and take pictures of her.
“When we traveled to France, the French rushed up to ‘aww’ and take photos like her own fan club,” the married couple told The Tribune via email. “It happens every time we take her out!”
Who is SLO County’s cutest dog?
Missy, who hails from Cayucos, is a red-haired toy poodle with a big personality, Semrau and Boyer wrote in an email.
Missy entered their lives in 2017 after their 18-year-old toy poodle Tutti-Frutti passed away, the couple said.
After months of heartbreak, they took a relative’s advice to get another dog to help them through the grieving process.
Semrau and Boyer took a five-hour drive to Auburn to collect their “adorable Missy,” they said.
The couple said she was the perfect balm in the wake of their loss.
“Missy certainly changed our lives,” Semrau and Boyer said. “As a puppy, we were so busy training her that there wasn’t much time to think about anything else. Which is exactly the way she likes it — all about her!”
The couple said they feel lucky to be Missy’s owners, describing the toy poodle as “a lover, not a biter” and the most cuddly dog they’ve ever owned.
Most mornings, she likes to crawl up to their pillows and deliver kisses and smiles, they said.
What makes Tribune pet contest winner unique?
Missy is a bright, energetic dog who likes to stick to her routine, Semrau and Boyer said in an email.
“At 5 p.m., she’ll bark to say she wants to eat dinner and sit up and lick her lips so there’s no question what she wants,” the couple said. “She has us under her paw.”
The pup’s favorite activity is to stroll along the beach.
Even though she only weighs 6.5 pounds, she can walk for several miles without stopping, according to Semrau and Boyer.
Missy burns off energy by playing fetch with her many toys.
One plaything tops them all, her owners said.
“She goes nuts at the pickleball court chasing the ball,” Semrau and Boyer told The Tribune.
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Who are the cutest cat and dog in the US?
Cutest cat and dog contests are taking place at more than 20 McClatchy newspapers across the United States.
Missy 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.
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
