The old adage that dog is a human's best friend certainly holds true for The Citizen's 2009 Pet Star winner.

This year's winner, Georgie, a 6-year old Maltese, belongs to Helen Oyer of Auburn.

And wherever Helen and her husband go, Georgie is not far from their side.

“He is a good little dog,” Oyer said. “He goes camping with us every other weekend. He sits right out in front of the kayak. He is the only dog we have ever taken camping with us. He really is a joy in our lives; wherever we go, he is there with us. He is a good boy.”

Oyer has had Georgie for a little more than a year now, and ever since they have found each other, Georgie has had a significant impact on the lives of the Oyer family.

Oyer explained that it wasn't too long ago that she and her husband lost another dog, Teddy, but a neighbor, looking to help out the Oyers during this difficult loss, had the perfect solution.

“It was hard losing Teddy,” Oyer said. “After that my husband said no more dogs. But our neighbor down the street had started raising poodles and it was too hard to have all these dogs. As soon as we went over there, Georgie just started jumping up and down and after a few minutes, my husband changed his mind and we have had Georgie ever since. He has just been such a wonderful gift and a great part of our lives.”

Oyer also said that when they first brought him home, Georgie had been named Georgio, but after taking one look at him, Oyer said that Georgie seemed like the perfect fit of a name.

Before finding Georgie, Oyer said that she would often visit the SPCA, looking for another dog, and in that time she was impressed with the organization's mission to help animals and pet lovers find one another and to care for displaced animals.

At least in part, this is what inspired Oyer to enter Pet Star, in which the photos of participating pets are published in The Citizen for the public to vote on their favorites. The contest benefits Newspapers in Education, a group that provides newspapers to school classrooms as educational tools, as well as the SPCA.

“Knowing that it was for the SPCA,” Oyer said, “I think it is so wonderful what they do there. We take part in a lot of things like the Skaneateles Pet Walk for the SPCA, and knowing this was in part a benefit for them made us want to do it.”

But she also felt that there truly was something special about her beloved friend, even when others had their doubts.

“Everybody joked with me,” Oyer said. “They said he was never going to win. And then he was still in after the first round and the second and the third and final round. When I looked in the Sunday paper I just couldn't believe it, I was so excited.”

While Oyer was overjoyed with Georgie's win, Georgie himself took it in a more relaxed stride. “I thought, 'Oh my God, we won,'” Oyer said. “I went and I showed Georgie, 'look, you won,' and he looked up and then he rolled over and went back to sleep. But I really just couldn't believe it.”

For their win, Oyer and Georgie have received a $500 gift card for Pet Depot - a gift which Oyer has been sharing. She said that with the gift card she has been purchasing items for her daughter's cat and her granddaughter's rabbit.

“We thought it was for $50,” Oyer said. “Which would've been great. But to get $500, that is just amazing to us. It is really great and we have been buying things for the kitties and the rabbit.”

And Georgie has received a few special gifts too.

“We decided as soon as we got him not give him people food or too many treats,” Oyer said. “It isn't good for little dogs. But Georgie gets one treat a day, he likes those little Snausages. So he got a bag of those and we will be using the rest for a few other things for Georgie too, and for my daughter's and my granddaughter's pets. It is nice to have something like this that we are able to share.”