California chihuahua Poindexter (from Rancho Cucamonga) weighs in at seven pounds. In these 2009 shelter photos, you can see he lost an eye after being mauled by a large dog.

Upon recovery he retained his trusting sweet disposition, very much the cuddler and the kisser, though he no longer liked to mix with other dogs.

He ended up in a rescue center in such bad need of tooth care (he has only about one-third of his teeth remaining) that it's pretty clear he was long neglected. Odd how such a dog can still love people.

In a January 2010 update on eight-year-old Poindexter's life with his new family, Teri Barit reported: "He's a great small dog with a big heart and soul. I'm so happy that I found him."