The AZ Insider" with Kathy Shayna Shocket: Get the inside scoop on Arizona's social scene and celebrity news.

Kathy's scoop on the finalist party for AFM’s dog contest

I was so honored to be one of the judges for AFM’s “Dog Days of Summer” contest. I took so many photos during the VIP private party for the finalists that my fully charged camera battery quickly died.  The VIP private party for the finalists was at the Oh My Dog Boutique & Spa in Scottsdale. And “oh my dog”.. every pooch was worthy of an award. It was quite the wonderful affair!

From massive size dogs with giant loveable wrinkled faces -to lap dogs with the most adorable teddy bear like faces – the finalists visited with the judges.  Mingling in the picture above are AFM's Sona Patel and Katherine Chamberlain with Oh My Dog's Jackie Bacha and her toy sized dogs. 

Pictured below are Kristen and Coco Puff,  CJ Johnson with Jasmine a Havenese (known as the shopping dog) Ivan Lugo with his Chihuahua show dogs Lola , Jackie with toy poodle Penelope; Dino a Shar Pei with his parents (he’s a puppy),  and Jodi with Baci.

 The dogs who garnered the most votes from AFM’s website were invited to the party at the boutique.  After 2 summer casting calls at Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge- pet lovers pounded away on their computer keyboards and voted on AFM’s website. Several of the dogs averaged over 100,000 votes during the summer online contest.  

Gary and Baci with Judge Jonathon Norville of TGEN

The judges who I teamed up with for the contest were Jackie Bacha, owner of Oh My Dog Boutique, Bobbie Underwood, owner of Sonoran Desert Pet Resort and TGEN’s Jonathon Norville, an advocate for the Programfor Canine Health & Performance (PCHP) at the TGen Foundation. (Translational Genomics Research Institute.)

Kristen with Coco Puff, CJ with Jasmine and Pamela with Molly  

All the adorable dogs were all winners and it was a hard decision… but Coco Puff, the Pomeranian took the first place title.  Besides the doggie toys and treats, the winning dog will be gracing the pages of AFM in 2012 and now holds the title of AFM’s Dog of  the Year" for 2010-2011.

We loved meeting all the dogs and their proud parents. And AFM wants to thank all the proud parents and their doggies who took part in the contest!!! 

Kathy Shayna Shocket is a Phoenix based reporter. If you have a good item for The AZ Insider, you can email her at