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Breaking News: 2008 World's Ugliest Dog Loses Cancer Battle

PetSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:58:25 -0800

When I met Gus up close and personal moments after he won the title of 2008 World's Ugliest Dog back in June, it was clear he had gone through a lot. This 9-year-old rescued pooch endured radiation, surgery on a malignant tumor, and a leg amputation from his skin cancer – and what I remember most from my chat with his super-sweet owners was that the pup had a fondness for pizza . . . yum!

Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sadly he just passed away. RIP, Gus!

I wanted to honor this pooch's big win in a gallery of photos so check them out when you read more.

View 7 Photos ›

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Ugly Dog Archie Shares Sunscreen Tips For Pets

PetSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:00:19 -0700

I had a great time making new furry – and not so furry – friends at the 2008 World's Ugliest Dog Competition. While up in Petaluma, I witnessed spraying bottles, dabbing with damp towels, and plenty of other owners trying to keep their pets cool in the 95-degree heat. While I chatted with the super-sweet Heather Peoples (who came all the way from Phoenix with her husband and Xoloitzcuintle, Reggie), I got to hold Archie, who had his moment in the sun as World's Ugliest Dog from 2006!Since many of the doggies were short-haired or hairless breeds, I was curious how to keep these pets safe in the scorching sun . . . especially considering the reigning champion has skin cancer already. Learn how Archie deals with the heat, as well as checking out some recommended sunscreens just for pets when you read more.

PS: How do your dogs deal with the heat in Phoenix?
HP: They go outside to go to the bathroom, come in, and lie on the floor. They have sunblock, they have lotion. Right now I'll do it three times while we're here, I do lotion twice a day, and they're getting baths three to four times a week . . . especially since we've been here 'cause it's humid. He smells so he goes into the shower. It's like an assembly line. One in, one out. [Note: Her other pooch, Reggie, was competing as well.]

PS: Do you have a pet-friendly sunscreen that you can recommend?
HP: I use one from Crazy Dog. I've found a lot of the spray-ons work really, really nice.

PS: He doesn't feel greasy.
HP: The good ones spray on and go right in. I made the mistake, when I first found out that they had to do sunblock, I was getting the baby kind . . . Water Babies. Bad idea, it was a very bad experience for him. He had a white stripe down his back, because it wouldn't soak in and couldn't get it to rub in!

Veterinarian's Best Sun Spray Sunscreen for Dogs ($4)	Epi-Pet Sun Protector Sunscreen ($18)
Doggles DOHE-PS Pet Sunscreen ($17.50)	Nutri-Vet, LLC - Sun Defense Spray
UVet Sunscreen Spray SPF 40 ($17)	PurePet Pure Touch Finishing Spray and Sunscreen ($10)

My Exclusive Interview with Gus, the 2008 World's Ugliest Dog!

PetSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:00:45 -0700

All the way from St. Petersburg, Florida, Gus captured the title – and my heart – when he won the 20th Annual World's Ugliest Dog Competition. The three-legged, one-eyed pup with cancer has a true tale of triumph – Jeanenne Teed and daughter Janey plan to use his award money of $1,600 (that's $100 for being a finalist for the purebred category, $500 for winning the Ugliest Dog of 2008 at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, and $1,000 for being the "2008 World's Ugliest Dog") towards his radiation treatments.In addition to the money, he got two trophies, one taller than his owners – I've got no clue how they'll get those back to the Sunshine state! I already mentioned it was hot, hot, hot up in Petaluma, but that didn't stop me from catching up with the trio after they won and asking them a few questions about their precious pooch.

PS: How long ago did Gus join your family?
JT: Gus is nine years old and came to us when he was one year old. He came to us word of mouth . . . he was being kept inside a crate inside a garage by an owner who really just couldn't deal with him. She did the right thing and she gave him up to a better home . . . we'd like to think. And he's been with us ever since, through thick and thin, and he's hanging in there. He's a tough cookie.

PS: You mentioned that he has cancer – what kind of cancer does he have?
JT: He has skin cancer. He was diagnosed in December of '06 and, at that time, the cancer was quite advanced and he needed to have his leg amputated. The other leg was debulked and the tumor was removed. After chemotherapy and then treatment with another medication, he had a great year – we had a great year – we took him on vacation for the first time.

Find out where they went – and what happened to his eye! – when you read more.

PS: Where did you go?
JT: We went to the Panhandle to an area that we always go to, Walton Beach, and it was just a great experience. Over Christmas, and over the holidays, we had that and now we have this great experience, too, which is unbelievable . . . absolutely unbelievable.

PS: So when you got Gus, did he have only one eye?
JT: Well, that's a sad . . . (laughs) . . . Gus got into a cat fight last December and obviously the cat won. So he lost his eye, too, to the cat. And he hasn't forgotten about it either.

PS: Hmm, they're not pals now I'm guessing?
JT: No, they're one for one. Gus had caught the kitten when he was a tiny, itty bitty kitten. And was trying to tear the kitten up with our other dog, Buttons, and they were playing tug-of-war. I rescued the little kitten who turned out to be a great, big tomcat.

PS: What's Gus's favorite treat?
JT: French fries. Unfortunately. We don't feed him this often but he loves McDonald's french fries. And when he was undergoing chemotherapy and his stomach was upset, the only thing he would eat was pepperoni pizza. Fortunately Janey works at a pizza place so it was easy to come by but that's what kept him going when nothing else tasted good to him.

PS: And are you gonna get him a special meal before you go back to the hotel tonight? A pampering snack at the fair, funnel cake perhaps?
JT: Him or us (laughs). We will get Gus whatever he wants to eat. It's been a great experience.

Weigh In: Who Was the Ugliest of Them All?

PetSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:20:01 -0700

I know, I know, Pabst is pretty darn cute to many of us (myself included). However, since this year's Ugliest Dog title included a modeling contract, maybe it's his interesting look that prompted the victory? After all, several of the winners in past years have been Chinese Cresteds . . . and Pabst surely wouldn't be mistaken for that breed anytime soon. The final round came down to the Ugliest Purebred 2009 (that's Miss Ellie on the left), the Ugliest Mutt 2009, and any past title holders competing in the Ring of Champions (that's Rascal on the right). Who do you think deserved to win?

It's a Dog's World: Fun at the 2009 World's Ugliest Dog Contest

PetSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:00:55 -0700

Variety is the spice of life, and thankfully we got a taste at this year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma. The winner wasn't a Chinese Crested (like it has been in past contests), but a Boxer mix named Pabst who walked away with the blue ribbon and stole the hearts of the crowd with his huge underbite. But for me, the World's Ugliest Dog Contest wouldn't be complete without a stroll through the barns and coops of the other furry (and non-furry) animals that take their place at the fair. My favorite this year were the bunnies, and I secretly had my eye on a few to sneak home in my bag!

Check out some of the other sights from the Sonoma-Marin Fair, including a mobile pet adoption center (so cute), and the "Ugly is The New Beautiful" fashion show sponsored by House of Dog when you read more.

View 65 Photos ›

And the 2009 World's Ugliest Dog Is . . .

PetSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:59:01 -0700

Another Petaluma scorcher for this year's Ugly Dog Contest! The 2009 champ was a new face who won me over with his pronounced underbite, which he uses like a scoop to get the food in at mealtime. Ha. Even though the last several years have featured lil pups like the late Gus, this time a big pup's top dog.

Four-year-old Pabst and his owner, Miles Egstad, came from Citrus Heights, CA - the Boxer mix was super sweet, loved the shade, and seemed to be rather sleepy before his turn on stage. Resting up for his time in the sun, I bet. We got a glimpse of Pabst, blue ribbon and all, so see one more cute pic (and hear what his owner had to say about the win) when you read more.

On the recognition: "This breed is not known for being ugly like the Chinese Crested. He's so ugly, he's adorable."

On the prize: "He's definitely getting a filet mignon, maybe not tonight, but he will. And getting his teeth cleaned, look at them!"

Congrats to Pabst and Miles and stay tuned for more Ugly Dog coverage next week!

Interview With the Referee of Puppy Bowl V (Part II)

PetSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:15:01 -0800

We already learned a bit of background on the pups and the referee in Part I, now let's hear more about the action, including this year's "streaker" (!) on the field, in the interview below.
PetSugar: What do you say to yourself when you get up that morning?
Ref: I look myself in the mirror for a long time, in the eye, and I say: 'This is your calling, this is what you're meant to do.' It's what I'm born into, my destiny.

PetSugar: Do you have any secret weapons on hand in case things get a little hairy?
Ref: Just experience and I consult the Puppy Bowl referee guidebook. I like to keep a little peanut butter behind the ears sometimes, but otherwise it's just my strong bond with the dogs and they know who's boss when I'm out there.

PetSugar: How many pups play at a time?
Ref: There are 10 to 12 dogs out there but we do have substitutions. You'll see that on the field, if a puppy's acting up and has too many penalties or is being a dirty dog, I have to eject him from the game. We give everyone a fair shot and I tell you, the puppies we have this year are some of the cutest but also you'll see there's so much action, touchdowns being scored, tackles, it's an exciting year for Puppy Bowl.

PetSugar: Which penalty do you see most and how do you keep order?
Ref: There's two: The first is unnecessary ruffness (r-u-f-f, of course) and then the other one is a personal foul. As you can imagine, there are a lot of foul things on that field with puppies. But I throw my yellow flag on it – it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.

Learn about the special guest performer before Puppy Bowl V, kitty halftime, and this year's "streaker" (!) when you read more.

PetSugar: Is there anything surprising lined up?
Ref: We're bringing out all the stops this year. But, even though we try to keep the show G-rated (and, as the ref, I try to obviously keep control of the game), one of the puppies got extra frisky. He went down into its birthday suit and we have a streaker, a Chinese Crested. I don't know what he was trying to prove but once I saw it on the field, I chased it around, covered it up and I made sure we retained order on the field.

PetSugar: You've convinced me, but can you sum up why our readers should tune in?
Ref: Well, we clear out the puppies to set up the halftime show. We bring in the kittens and it's 15 minutes of adorableness so, if you're not a puppy person (which I can't imagine you not being), then you have a chance to see these cute little kittens doing their thing. And if you're not a dog person or a cat person, you have Pepper the parrot singing the most beautiful rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" that you'll ever hear – it'll bring a tear to your eye, you'll see. Also this year, if you've missed Puppy Bowls I-IV, if you're living under a rock, this one is celebrating the fifth anniversary with Hall of Fame moments from the first four. So that's even more reason to watch because you can see the best, cutest, friskiest moments form the first four all in one amazing sitting at Feb.1 at 3 p.m..

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Do Tell: Do You Agree With America's Pick For Obama?

PetSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:30:55 -0700

Remember that poll to help America pick a pooch for Barack Obama? Although rescuing is usually a good option, his daughters suffer from allergies, meaning a hypoallergenic dog would do best in this home. Timed to coincide with his acceptance of the Democratic Party nomination, the AKC's released the results: a Poodle.

Personally, of the five finalists (Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Miniature Schnauzer, Poodle, and Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier), I was pulling for the mini Schnauzer - do you agree with the suggestion of any of the three sizes of poodles, or do you have a different idea?

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The Scoop: Obamas Plan on Adding to the Family

PetSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:00:54 -0700

In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, once again Barack Obama declared that, win or lose, their family would be welcoming a new addition: a dog! It seems everyone has an opinion on which pooch he should choose as the AKC released a list of five hypoallergenic dogs for his daughters' allergies (Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Miniature Schnauzer, Poodle, or Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier), and even animal rights activists share their opinions. In a letter to the senator, PETA expressed their view on why Mr. Obama should be looking at shelters instead of breeders:

Millions of Great American Mutts - the dog that should be our national dog - are set to die in our nation's extremely overcrowded pounds and shelters for lack of good homes. Adopting an animal not only saves a life, but demonstrates compassion, and the companion animal overpopulation crisis deserves attention from all Americans.

Although the Obamas have already expressed interest in rescuing a dog, I'm sure no matter which dog they choose they will give their new furry friend the love and attention it deserves. I can't wait to see the new addition!

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Do Tell: Funniest-Looking Dog Breed?

PetSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:30:42 -0700

Just one week from today, I'm heading up to the World's Ugliest Dog Contest to see which lucky pup wins on (bad) looks alone! We've all got our opinions on pretty and ugly – Krull the Warrior King's at least a little cute, right? – so I wanna hear which breeds always get a giggle from you. From this patchy Chinese Crested, the lamb-like Bedlington, or even those smooshies (gasp), share as many as you want below!