Take one look at the happy, smiling face of Misa Minnie, an uber-adorable one-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, and you know this is a well-loved dog. What you might not realize, though, is this Yorkie has legion fans delighted by this photogenic dog’s joie de vivre and undeniably cute face. Thanks to some serious voting, Misa won our first ever Star Dog contest with a whopping 58,171 votes! Misa’s person Cess Mancilla doesn’t take her dog’s celebrity lightly but rather uses Misa’s popularity to help charities and spread cheer. Misa is a therapy dog in training and has thus far learned over 70 commands and tricks so she can entertain children and adults in hospitals and hospice. Misa’s online reach has helped Cess raise money for rescues, and Cess and Misa are, as of writing, undertaking a large toy, blanket, and treat drive for rescue dogs in celebration of Misa’s birthday. They’ve been receiving donation boxes from all over the U.S.A., as well as some from generous donors from all over the world, that they’ll distribute to Friends of Orange County Homeless Pets, Yorkie and Friends Rescue, and the Irvine Animal Shelter. “People want to help Misa with our mission,” Cess tells us. “I couldn’t ask for a better dog.” So what is it about Misa that makes her a true star? Cess thinks it’s that “she reminds people of the positive, joyful things that exist in this world. She is a super pup even without all the fans and friends, but she’s a super star because of this amazing community.”

Clearly, Misa Minnie has been an inspiration, not only to Cess as the catalyst for these wonderful initiatives they’ve undertaken together, but to an online community spurred to both smiles and charitable acts. We asked Cess just what it is she thinks people can learn from dogs. Her answer? “Be the person your dog thinks you are,” adding, “Appreciate every single day and never take anything for granted. Dogs live their lives with such abandon.”

For more on Misa Minnie and her fundraisers for rescue, check out FB.com/me.so.mini.misa.