Sun Herald readers choose the cutest dog on the Mississippi Coast. It’s Eli
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- More than 22,000 votes selected four finalists in Coast's cutest dog contest.
- Eli, Cash, Rex and Buddy advanced after surpassing thousands in first-round votes.
- Sun Herald subscribers can vote unlimited times before polls close August 31.
It was a clean sweep for Eli.
In voting to determine the cutest dog on the Mississippi Coast, Eli ran away from the pack to win the first round and followed it up with a commanding win in the final round.
With nearly 58,000 votes in the final round, Eli captured 26,226 votes (45%). Following him were Cash (29%), Buddy (15%) and Rex (11%).
In the first round, Eli seized the lead in the middle of the week and never let go, totaling more than 8,000 first-round votes. Cash made a strong late run, and finished with more than 7,000 votes. Rex and Buddy also punched their tickets to the final round, with Rex amassing more than 5,000 votes and Buddy picking up better than 2,500.
Subscribers could vote as many times as they liked in our poll, which closed Sunday, August 31.
This story was originally published August 25, 2025 at 5:00 AM.