You could say Bean the English bulldog mix has quite the tale. In June, a New Jersey animal shelter found him dumped on the street barely able to walk.

“He was skin and bones. At that point, we really had no idea what was going on with him. You know, we were kind of bracing ourselves,” said Melissa Georgi, a volunteer with Project Precious Rescue in Stamford, which took the dog in.

Bean immediately went to MedVet in Norwalk, then needed a foster home when he was released. Georgi was dealing with her own pet loss at the time.

“I wasn't really looking to commit to a dog at that time, so I had fostered in the past for other rescue groups, and I thought that might be a gentle way to ease into things,” Georgi told News 12.

That sentiment didn’t last long.

“Nope, nope, nope,” said Georgi, laughing.

Though Georgi didn't expect to become Bean's forever family, there was no letting him go. The dog “wiggled his way into her heart.”

“He's hilarious. He's like really quirky. He has a lot of quirks. He likes to grumble a lot and make noises, you know, when he's not getting his way,” said Georgi with a smile.

Now, Bean has a shot at winning America's Favorite Pet, an online national competition and fundraiser that celebrates the special bond between pet parent and furry family member.

“I saw it online, and I thought, ‘Oh maybe that would be a fun thing to do,’” Georgi explained.

Bean has been in the top two of his group since voting began, according to Georgi. The winner gets a $10,000 prize and a photoshoot to grace the cover of Modern Dog magazine.

“I kind of feel like he's made for that, though. He's got such a personality for that. He's just so great with everyone,” Georgi stated.

Whatever the outcome, Bean already has a happy ending.

Voting for this round ends at midnight on Jan. 16. To support Bean, click here.

Georgi said if Bean wins, she'll donate at least half the money to Project Precious Rescue.