This year’s Pet March Madness winner beat out his own son for the top prize in a dog-eat-dog battle for the championship.
With around 270 total votes cast in the final bracket, Binx the Schnauzer came out on top of the 30 pets who entered the annual competition put on by the Eudora Times.
His mom, Kaylyn Correll, said all 11 members of their family were engaged in the tournament throughout the week.
“We are very high in competition. When we have something in mind, a goal, we work for it,” she said.
Correll entered her dogs Binx and Onyx into the competition, forcing their household to pick favorites. Both made it to the final three, but Binx beat Onyx, his son, who won third place.
“They’re complete opposites,” Correll said.
Onyx is 3 years old and afraid of everything until he’s in the yard chasing down squirrels. He’s named after Onyx, the quartz, and Correll’s love of crystals. Onyx is the fun police, his family said. Anytime the other dogs start barking, he starts howling and barking for them to stop.
Binx is 5 years old and enjoys sleeping in bed with a pillow and blanket like a human. He’s the protector, especially of his mom and best friend.
“I love them both, obviously, but Binx is my little sidekick,” Correll said. “I’ve got a Jeep, and we go topless out there and he rides in it. It’s just kind of our thing, like an emotional support animal. So, of course, he’s been my pick.”
Binx has also been there through hard times, providing comfort no medicine could, she said.
Among nine children and four total dogs, Onyx and Binx had family support throughout the competition. A few of Correll’s children posted on their social media stories and texted friends individually to secure their pets’ spot in the top three.
“I’m telling you, it was a competition. Between all of them,” Correll said.
The family said they planned to celebrate their tournament gold and bronze wins with ice cream.
Doug the golden retriever beat his sister Millie earlier in the competition and ultimately won second place. Doug’s owner Kelley Woods said her daughter, Hallie, entered them in the race. He loves pizza and sleeping in the kids’ rooms.
“He is very, like, bubbly, very smart, but just kind of fits the name Doug,” Woods said. “He’s a cuddler. Even though he’s the bigger one, you’d think he’d be a little more dominant. Absolutely not.”
Millie and Doug from the Woods family went head-to-head this year in Pet March Madness. Ultimately, Doug placed second in the competition.
Woods got the dogs from her parents’ litter but only planned to take Millie. When Doug cuddled up to their family, her son suggested the name and insisted on taking him as well. As the fuller, chunkier sweetheart, the name was immediately fitting, Woods said.
“And when he said, ‘Doug,’ I said, ‘Yeah, OK, we have to have him, too,’” Woods said. “But I think he originally got Doug, even though it’s spelled a little differently, from the Pixar movie ‘Up.’”
Doug loves to run on the Woods’ 13-acre property and has even learned how to close the door after going out.
“He doesn’t even have to be told anymore. He comes inside from going out, and looks at you like, ‘It’s time for my reward,’” Woods said.
Although Woods’ kids also campaigned for the dogs’ votes, many came from strangers around the community.
“I was looking back and each time it was a lot of unfamiliar names, too, just the community. It’s fun,” Woods said.
Times Publisher Teri Finneman said it’s great to see the community come out throughout the week to have fun with the online contest.
“A big goal of the Eudora Times is community engagement, and we’re glad this has become a favorite event each year,” she said.
Reach reporter Julia Hanson at [email protected]
