‘Fluff ball’ who loves to give kisses voted Fresno’s cutest dog. Meet Finley
The final votes are in, and Fresno Bee readers have crowned Fresno County’s cutest dog.
Finley, a 3-year-old, 17-pound “little fluff ball” from Clovis, smiled his way to the top spot in The Bee’s cutest pet contest.
Finley won by a landslide, earning a whopping 5,918 votes out of 8,060 total — 73% of the vote.
Owners Debbie and Terry Nephew said they were “delighted” their fuzzy little guy won. Here’s what to know about the Coton de Tulear.
How did Fresno County’s cutest dog come into your life?
It’s a tale as old as time — Debbie Nephew had wanted a little fluff ball of her own after falling in love with a friend of a friend’s Coton de Tulear puppy.
Her husband Terry Nephew “wasn’t a big fan” of the idea.
“We went back and forth for many years,” Debbie said. When Terry retired in 2022, Debbie renewed her request for them to get a pup.
What she didn’t know is that Terry had been devising a plan to surprise her all along.
“A friend of mine had another litter of dogs. For Christmas, he gave me this wonderful little letter on our tree that said ‘This entitles you to the puppy of your choice, and I’ll take you to get him.’ That made me cry.”
The couple had been enjoying traveling up until then, and Terry wasn’t ready to give it up — until they retired.
“I kept telling her no because this was my plan all along,” he said. “He’s got me wrapped around his finger now.... He’s definitely been an addition to my life. It’s all positive for me.”
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What’s it like having Finley as part of the family?
Now Terry can’t imagine life without him. Finley has become a sort of mascot around their community — especially since the Nephews started bringing a stroller with them on the surprisingly long walks Finley loves to take.
“For as little a dog he is, he really does love to walk,” Terry said. “When we take him out in the morning, it’s not unusual for him to walk two miles. He has short little legs, but they’re very strong so he’ll pull you right along.”
But then when he decides he doesn’t want to go somewhere or he gets too hot or tired, he’ll lay down and won’t budge. That’s when he gets to ride along in the stroller.
And the little pup loves to greet any human and dog he comes across.
“He is just the sweetest dog. He loves everybody,” Terry said. “He loves dogs. If he sees a person he has to greet them. He’s happy all the time.”
And the little pup is usually sporting a happy smile, he said.
“There’s nothing I enjoy more than turning around and seeing he’s got that happy little smile on his face while he’s trotting down the road,” Terry said.
He’s also very affectionate and loves to hang out on their laps and give them kisses.
He excitedly greets them with “the biggest bark” even if they’ve only been gone for an hour or two, Debbie said.
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“He barks when he hears the garage door and gasses down the hallway on his back legs trying to get our attention,” Terry said. “He gets so excited. He’s never been mad.”
Debbie said she was surprised when Terry saw the contest while reading the paper and said he was going to enter Finley. But they always felt confident he could win it.
“We think he’s the cutest,” they told the Fresno Bee in an email. “However, we might be biased!”
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Who are the cutest dog and cat in the US?
Cutest cat and dog contests are taking place at more than 20 McClatchy newspapers across the United States.
Finley 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.
