Pictured: Tito living his best life in Sarasota. Photo courtesy of Christina Koogler.

What started as a simple way to share her dog Tito's adventures has turned into something local resident Christina Koogler never really anticipated.

Discovered roaming the streets in 2025, Tito was filthy, severely matted, infested with bugs and battling pneumonia. With a lot of love and care, he gradually regained his strength. As his eyes brightened and his fur grew back, his vibrant (sometimes bossy) personality began to emerge, prompting Koogler to refer to him as “Tito 2.0”.

This holiday season, Koogler and Tito are looking for twelve dogs with 2.0 second-chance stories—tales honoring fresh starts and new beginnings. Through their contest, “Tito’s 12 Days of Christmas,” dog owners are invited to submit a 300-word story to compete in a free, judged contest competing for one $500 grand prize. Twelve selected finalists will be highlighted from Dec. 8–19, with the single winner announced on Dec. 20. Judging is based entirely on the story rather than votes or likes and submissions close on Nov. 28. The stories are not limited to rescue dogs. “A second chance can mean a lot of different things,” Koogler explains. “Maybe a dog overcame an illness, found a new home or helped somebody through a really difficult time. Sometimes the dog is the one getting the second chance, and sometimes it's the person.”

Koogler comes from a family that always made a point of giving to those in need during the holidays. This year, she wanted to do something fun and meaningful for Christmas. “We all think our dogs are the cutest, funniest, most amazing creatures on the planet. I'm certainly guilty of that,” she says. “But there's usually more to the story than just an adorable picture. Some dogs have been through quite a bit. Others have helped their owners through some pretty tough times. I wanted to give people a chance to tell those stories.”

Koogler shares that Tito's name has taken on a whole new meaning for her. “TITO stands for Trust In The Outcome— and that's really what I hope people take away from our story. Tito is a perfect example that where you start in life doesn't have to determine where you end up.”

To learn more and enter Tito’s 12 Days of Christmas, visit thetinytito20.com.

Pictured: Tito living his best life in Sarasota. Photo courtesy of Christina Koogler.