Root Beer ("Rootie")

Rootie is the "runt" of an 8-pup litter. His mom was being abused by people who used her simply to produce puppies.

Mischievous and energetic, loving and loyal, Rootie is a force to be reckoned with, even if he appears quite small in this photo. He had to be because one night, Rootie died and came back to life.

One night, Rootie got choked on his puppy kibble. We rushed to the ER vet, but by the time we arrived, I thought he was gone. He was limp in my arms, nonresponsive. I ran him inside, and to my astonishment, the vets revived him on the lobby floor. Rootie fully recovered.

In addition to being so obviously cute, Rootie is a tough little dog. He deserves to be Americas cutest puppy.