The 2 Cutest Dogs In Secaucus Are ...

SECAUCUS, NJ — In December, Secaucus Spectator (the free monthly newsletter distributed in Harmon Cove) and Patch announced they would be holding a "Cutest Dog in Secaucus" contest.

And now, the winners are in:

Bearman, owned by Secaucus High School varsity wrestling coach Evan Pope was voted to be the cutest dog in town. In total, 446 people voted in the contest and Berman received 193 votes.

Second-place cutest dog, winning the second most votes, was Guinness, owned by Colleen McCaffery, who lives on 4th Street.

The entire contest was a fundraiser by Secaucus' two local media outlets, Spectator and Patch, to raise money for the Secaucus Animal Shelter. For every 200 votes cast, Spectator publisher Don Evanson said he and Patch would donate $50 each.

In total, 446 people voted but Evanson and Patch reporter Carly Baldwin gave more than that: They donated $200 each to the town Animal Shelter.

Evanson also gave $100 to first-place winner Pope, and $50 to McCaffery. McCaffery gave her check to the animal shelter.

Shelter director Chris Conte was very touched, and said the $450 total donation will help pay for outstanding vet bills the shelter has.

A total of 67 Secaucus residents submitted photos of their dogs. Anonymous judges narrowed the list down to 12 of the cutest dogs (it was supposed to be 10, but they received more submissions than they expected).

The public was asked to email their vote to Secaucusspec@aol.com by January 17. Evanson said remarkably, nobody gamed the system: Nobody cast their vote more than once, however, word did seem to spread especially among the SHS wrestling team.

The town of Secaucus donated dog beds and doggie toys to the two dog winners, Bearman and Guinness.