The 2024 World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest Winner Is a 'Cuddly' Pit Bull Mix Who's 'Never Met a Stranger'

Margot's unique look stopped her pet parent, Julia Zupan, mid-scroll through Facebook.

Zupan, 25, first spotted the striking pit bull and American bulldog mix with different-colored eyes—one brown, one blue—on the Facebook page of a fellow Cincinnati Animal CARE volunteer in November 2022.

Zupan had been volunteering at the Ohio animal shelter, taking dogs out on day trips to de-stress from shelter life, as a way "to get her dog fix in," she tells PEOPLE.

But seeing Margot available for adoption made her rethink everything. "I thought, 'Okay, I have to meet this dog because I have never seen a dog like this," the project management specialist recalls of the 52-lb. pooch.

Zupan scheduled a day trip for Margot to visit her apartment, where they "lay in bed" to enjoy "some quiet rest." Shortly into the visit, Zupan found Margot "fully lying on me" for snuggles. Amazed by how "comfortable" Margot seemed in her home, Zupan became enamored with the pup and officially adopted her on Nov. 15, 2022, two days after their first meeting.

"I wasn't looking for a dog," she says. "But I just knew that I couldn't give this one up."

"I have just never met such a cuddly dog," Zupan adds.

Like Zupan, thousands of voters instantly fell for Margot's sweet demeanor, gorgeous eyes, and speckled fur during PEOPLE's World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest, presented by the PEDIGREE brand. They and judges from PEOPLE, The Talk, and the PEDIGREE brand helped crown the pup winner of the 2024 competition. Margot's prizes include a year's supply of dog food from the PEDIGREE brand and a $1,000 donation to the animal rescue of her choice. Margot and Zupan have chosen to give their winning donation to Margot's home shelter, Cincinnati Animal CARE.

Even though Margot regularly receives compliments from strangers on their walks—she "is literally the cutest dog in the world," Zupan says— Zupan "was still shocked" to learn her pet had won the contest. "I freaked out and called my mom!"

Little is known about Margot's history before her adoption, except that a Good Samaritan brought the friendly dog to the shelter after finding her wandering alone in a Walmart parking lot. Since then, the 3-year-old dog has dedicated herself to becoming "best friends with everyone," from the people she meets at the Starbucks drive-through to the more than 100,000 followers she's earned on TikTok (@margottherescue) and Instagram (@margottherescue_).

"She has never met a stranger. She loves every single person," the dog's pet parent explains.

Zupan, who started Margot's social media accounts to show off the dog's "silly and very affectionate side," also uses the platforms to highlight training issues that pet parents may encounter. Margot is a leash-reactive dog, meaning she can have "really big feelings" about being on a leash and get "frustrated because the leash is holding her back when she really wants to go make new friends," Zupan explains. To help Margot with these reactions, Zupan trains with her daily and sets up regular visits to a private Sniffspot dog park, where she can "run around and be a crazy dog" while off-leash.

"Margot struggles with her emotions a little bit, but she's the best dog no matter what," she says, noting that being able to work on her reactive issue together has brought the pair closer. "She has made me so much more compassionate and understanding of others," she says. Zupan adds that Margot, her first rescue dog, has "changed my life completely" and has left a permanent mark on her heart — and body. Zupan got a tattoo of Margot on her arm in 2023.

"She is just like an absolute Bundle of joy," Zupan adds.

Margot is joined in the 2024 World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest winner's circle by two runners-up, Marcel and Luke. Marcel is a 15-year-old Chihuahua adopted from Friends With Four Paws. Before his adoption, Marcel lived in a small cage at a puppy mill for years. He is now one of the "chillest" dogs, according to his owner, Mei-i Zien.

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Luke is a "constant companion" to his pet parents, Gary and Sally Crayton, who adopted the canine from Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee, Fla., in August 2023. The couple fell in love with Luke after seeing his "sweet face" and "big blue eyes."