NEW YORK — The ASPCA is pleased to announce the 10 winners of its 2008 ASPCA Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month "Best-Dressed Dog" Photo Contest. Pet owners were invited to submit favorite photos of their pooches, to engage the public and encourage pet lovers to make pet adoption their first option.

"Celebrating October as 'Adopt-A-Shelter Dog Month' was a great way to highlight the benefits of adopting a shelter dog across the country," said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. "We received thousands of entries for the photo contest, and we hope the winning images will encourage and inspire people to find their canine companion through an animal shelter."

The contest's guest judge was Frances R. Sheridan, an animal lover, photographer and author of Unleashed: The Dog Runs of New York City (Prestel, 2005). She selected 10 best-dressed pooches strutting in their hottest Halloween costumes.

The winning subjects include Reece and Bennie, two dogs that love to play cop and robber; Nigel and Nicky, white German shepherd brothers that love the water and occasionally dress up as pirates; Petey, a true "New Yorkie" that carries an endless supply of Metrocards; Guido, a happy-go-lucky Italian greyhound with a larger-than-life grin; Finlay, a scottie/westie mix that lets his inner monster come out of his shell; and Dandelion, a golden/chow mix and a rescue from the ASPCA.

All of the winners received a prize pack that included an ASPCA T-Shirt, ASPCA wristband, ASPCA toy gift set and a reflective safety collar. Visit www.aspca.org to see the winning photographs and learn more about the proud owners.