For the past two years, we've run a "12 Cats of Christmas" cover feature, and while those were a hit, we've gone all-out heartwarming with this year's inaugural "12 Dogs of Christmas." Because nothing says seasonal and Baby Yoda-level cute than an adorable pooch wrapped in a wintry scarf.
All of these puppers are currently adoptable (as of press time) from the Orange County Animal Shelter, and warm thanks are in order to Paul Wean, Joan Reines and the tireless team behind Pawsitive Shelter Photography (motto: "Saving good pets through better photography") for creating heart-melting and festive moods for our cover stars.
So if you can find room in your hearts and homes this holiday season, be a combination heroic Santa Claus, heart-three-sizes-too-big Grinch, and Polar Express Conductor and make these li'l doggies' wishes come true.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a bouncing ball.

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Pantera (A249104)
NAME: Pantera (A249104)
GENDER: Female
AGE: 4
STAR SIGN: Scorpio
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Infinite scratches behind my ears
GUILTY PLEASURES: Reality television (I actually can see what's on the screen)
JOBS BEFORE MODELING: Professional fetcher
PEOPLE I ADMIRE: Clifford
HIDDEN TALENT: Can win every staring contest
AMBITIONS: Singlehandedly render Ring technology obsolete
FAVORITE THING TO DO WHEN MY HUMANS ARE AWAY: Singlehandedly render Ring technology obsolete

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Dotty (A443948)
NAME: Dotty (A443948)
GENDER: Female
AGE: 3
STAR SIGN: Aries
JOBS BEFORE THIS: Human-walker
HIDDEN TALENT: My fur is in proven fact softer than velvet
WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? The perfect balance of quantity and quality in belly rubs
PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: Snoopy
DREAM OCCUPATION: "Dogs Playing Poker" painting model

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Mr. Blue (A444037)
NAME: Mr. Blue (A444037)
GENDER: Male
AGE: 3
STAR SIGN: Gemini
TURN-ONS: Head scratches, squeak toys, the occasional lick of soft-serve ice cream
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Answering the immortal question "Who's a good boy!" with an excited bark and/or yelp
PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: Tie: Odie, Laika
FAVORITE HANGOUT: Wherever you are
IF I COULD GO ANYWHERE, I WOULD GO: On a dog park world tour

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Buddha (A443770)
NAME: Buddha (A443770)
GENDER: Male
AGE: 11
THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY: Lounging in the shade of the Bo Tree
GUILTY PLEASURES: Logging into your Facebook account and shitposting in the "This Cat Is Chonky" group
FAVORITE SONG: "Bodhisattva," by Steely Dan
JOBS BEFORE THIS: Richard Gere's emotional support animal
PEOPLE I ADMIRE: The Dalai Lama
HIDDEN TALENT: Staring deep into your soul, divining all your hidden secrets and insecurities, bathing you in the love of the All-One. Also, chewing up an entire roll of toilet paper
AMBITIONS: Heal the world; eat infinite peanut butter

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Jewels (A444121)
NAME: Jewels (A444121)
GENDER: Female
AGE: 8
STAR SIGN: Sagittarius
JOBS BEFORE MODELING: None; I was born to strike a pose and pose I shall, forever
HIDDEN TALENT: Finding the light, making cheap clothes look amazing, biting bad photographers in the ass
WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Leafing through international foreign magazines, chewing on the faces of my beautiful competitors
PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: Carmen Dell'Orefice
FAVORITE BLOG: Advanced Style
DREAM OCCUPATION: Being my own glamorous self, darling

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Jake Owen (A443915)
NAME: Jake Owen (A443915)
GENDER: Male
AGE: 3
STAR SIGN: Gemini
TURN-ONS: Riding in the car, wagging my tail, fetching the ball, reading The Economist
GUILTY PLEASURES: Watching Hallmark holiday movies
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Wearing scarves, shopping for scarves, watching you knit me a scarf, talking to other dogs about scarves
PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: John Maynard Keynes
FAVORITE HANGOUT: The Black Sheep yarn store on Fairbanks Avenue
IF I COULD GO ANYWHERE, I WOULD GO: To live at Martha Stewart's stately Connecticut manor and play with yarn forever

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Guinness (A443707)
NAME: Guinness (A443707)
AGE: 2-ish
GENDER: Male
IDEAL VACATION GETAWAY: Any bar patio with a free water bowl
THE TRAIT YOU MOST DEPLORE IN OTHERS: Pretending to throw a ball and not actually throwing the ball
PEOPLE I ADMIRE: Santa
HIDDEN TALENT: Getting the treat out of the Kong toy
FAVORITE THING TO DO WHEN MY HUMANS ARE AWAY: Roll around in their bed
DREAM OCCUPATION: French fry inspector
GUILTY PLEASURE: Cats
SECRET WISH: To get my pilot's license
THINGS I'M GREAT AT: Belly rubs (receiving), ear scratches (receiving), treats (receiving)
FAVORITE BOOK: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Seven (A444124)
NAME: Seven (A444124)
STAR SIGN: Capricorn
Age: 4
GENDER: Male
AMBITIONS: To one day have antlers of my very own
WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Having a hand on my belly and a treat in my mouth and a ball in my mouth and a chew toy in my mouth
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? That my new owners will forget about my heartworm treatment even though the cost is completely covered by a generous sponsor
WHAT IS THE TRAIT YOU MOST DEPLORE IN OTHERS? Stinginess
PERSON I MOST ADMIRE: Billie Eilish
DREAM OCCUPATION: Flying reindeer

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Lola (A443985)
NAME: Lola (A443985)
AGE: 6
GENDER: Female
WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Going on a car ride
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? That car ride ending at the vet
WHAT IS THE TRAIT YOU MOST ADMIRE IN YOURSELF? My trusting nature
WHAT IS THE TRAIT YOU MOST ADMIRE IN OTHERS? Generosity
WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST ADMIRE? My soon-to-be new owners
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS? I don't know how to read. It's really a miracle that I'm writing this coherently.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE? To be able to see in color
ON WHAT OCCASION DO YOU LIE? Sometimes people ask me who's a good girl and I say I am, but I'm never 100 percent sure.

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Diamond (A444136)
NAME: Diamond (A444136)
AGE: Around 4
GENDER: Female
STAR SIGN: Libra
FAVORITE SONG IN THE CLUB: "Sweet Caroline," by Neil Diamond
THE TRAIT YOU MOST DEPLORE IN OTHERS: Stingy petting
HIDDEN TALENT: Pooping without making eye contact
DREAM OCCUPATION: Beta testing couch cushions in Silicon Valley
SECRET WISH: To pretend to sniff Trump's butt then bite it. When he's wearing shorts
FAVORITE BOOK: Transcripts of Real Housewives episodes

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Joanie (A443371)
NAME: Joanie (A443371)
AGE: 2, give or take a doggy month
GENDER: Female
STAR SIGN: Leo
THE TRAIT YOU MOST DEPLORE IN OTHERS: Clean butts
HIDDEN TALENT: Finding stinky butts
DREAM OCCUPATION: Anesthesiologist
GUILTY PLEASURES: Befriending mail carriers
FAVORITE THING TO DO WHEN MY HUMANS ARE AWAY: Trash Marley & Me on Twitter
BEST FIRST DATE DISH: Shoe smells, butt smells, crotch smells ... or maybe a nice pho spot

- Photo by Pawsitive Shelter Photography
- Serena (A441159)
NAME:Serena (A441159)
AGE: 2-ish
GENDER: Female
STAR SIGN: Taurus
GUILTY PLEASURES: A long bath
FAVORITE THING TO DO WHEN MY HUMANS ARE AWAY: Meditate, do a little yoga
HIDDEN TALENT: Baiting humans into a game of fetch
SECRET WISH: Make Air Bud a reality
SEXIEST DATE ACTIVITY: A walk in an alley, with a modicum of peeing
FAVORITE BOOK: The novelization of Star Trek but with dogs tho