Local mutt cutest

Stella, a rat terrier and papillon mix who lives in Summerville, has been selected by an animal rights group as the cutest mutt in the nation.

Jamie Hood, 26, said she submitted a photo of Stella to a contest sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals because she thinks her pet is really cute.

Stella was selected from among 10 finalists and about 1,000 dogs that were entered in PETA's Cutest Mutt Alive contest.

It's the second year the group has held the contest, which is designed to encourage people to adopt dogs from animal shelters.

"I'm a big fan of PETA and I always have been," Hood said Thursday. She and her husband, Curt, have three cats and two dogs, but they often foster dogs and cats. They drove all the way to Anderson about a year and a half ago to get Stella, she said.

They came across a woman who was trying to find homes for a litter of puppies. "She sent us some photos of the puppies and we immediately fell in love with Stella."

Hood was delighted when Stella was chosen as one of the 10 finalists for the contest. She learned Stella was the winner when she got an e-mail from PETA on Thursday morning, she said.

"I got excited and started calling everybody," Hood said.

Hood and her husband donate frequently to PETA and also support local animal groups, including the SPCA, she said. She hopes the attention Stella receives will help bring attention to all mixed-breed dogs, she said.

To celebrate Stella's win, Hood and Stella walked around the neighborhood and cuddled on the couch with the other household pets.

"She has no idea why she's receiving so much attention or why we keep running around and praising her, but she's eating it up," Hood said. "She's definitely feeling the love today!"

Reach David W. MacDougall at 937-5655.