Editor’s note: Pet Tales’ summer intern Sophie Roh went on her first assignment Saturday. She got to cover an ugly dog competition in Anaheim. Oh, do we know how to pick ‘em! The following is her first-person report.
Woof! I learned a moral lesson today. Beauty, clearly, is in the eyes of the beholder — although as an owner of a pug myself, I can’t help but defend him and all his adorable wrinkles and mole.
In the intense Californian heat, 57 pooches of various breeds turned out Saturday to fight tooth and paw in the dog-eat-dog “OC’s Annual Ugliest Dog Competition,” held by the Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk.
Despite the name of the contest, however, only a few, good-humored owners chose to register a grand total of four dogs in the “ugliest dog” category.
Most entrants considered their furry friends — including Tuna, a 5-month-old English bulldog; Rebel, a 2-month-old wrinkly Shar Pei; and Daisy, a 4-month-old hairless Chinese crested — too adorable to be considered among the “ugly” crowd. (These three breeds are often characterized as … eh, “unattractive” dogs.)
Instead, most chose to enter their pups in different categories of the contest, categories such as “Best Tricks,” “Cutest Puppy,” “Most Look Like Owner,” and “Best Costume.” The goal: prize packs, which included gift cards for GardenWalk stores, as well as treats and a trophy for the dogs.
There was no shortage of pride in this crowd:
“We call her a little ‘dancing bear.’ She would get up on her hind legs, dance and twirl, jump and high-five. She is absolutely going to win the Best Trick category … hopefully,” said Carol Gomez of Fullerton about her busy 5-year-old Brussels Griffon, who was eagerly standing up and twirling around my legs and a chair.
After much deliberation by a panel of four judges, the ugly crown finally went to Telopotchli, a black Xoloitzcuintli (look it up, I dare you), who beat out other mutts with his sleek, hairless body, bony legs, and slanted eyes. His rivals, two Chihuahuas and a Chow, hardly stood a chance.
Owner Miguel Arenas of Cerritos said it was amazing that he had won, but he does not truly think “Telo” is ugly. He is, Miguel insisted, a handsome descendant of the ancient Mexican breed that dates back to the Aztecs.
“He’s almost noble, I think,” Miguel said.
The other categories of the contest were lively and featured a lot more yapping — mostly because of the large number of contestants, many of whom were clad in colorful costumes.
Here are just a few of the many costumed contenders that caught my eye:
- Chihuahua couple Skippy Alexander and Chanel #5 in their wedding gowns;
- Boston terrier Charlotte in a cheerleader costume;
- Pug-bulldog mix Josie in a bright little sundress and flowers behind her ears;
- Chihuahua Kobie in a “Pancho Villa” costume, complete with a Taquila bottle;
- Dachshund Oscar Mayer in a Pinocchio suit;
- Chubby Russell mix Patches in an Angels uniform;
- Maltese Kissi in a vibrant purple and red costume that matched her owner’s;
- Chihuahua Rico Suave as a tiny Flintstones caveman, complete with a leopard outfit and a crazy ’do.
Another large crowd of owners proudly showed off their puppies: the cutest one in the bunch, “Teddy,” a 2-year-old longhair Chihuahua rescued by his owner “Ted,” (hmmm) blew a kiss, swept up his majestic tail, and waved a goodbye before leaving the stage.
Finally, “Sal” had the audience laughing with his incredible imitation of his lookalike golden retriever puppy, Bambino, who was panting on an over-heated stage.
However, no other pooch could beat Vinny Love, who won over the crowd with his numerous tricks, such as “talking” on command, weaving between legs, fetching keys, and dancing his doggy feet away; he happily leapt into his owner’s arms as he was given the People’s Choice award.
“I got him at the Orange County Animal Shelter when he was a year-and-a-half old,” said Andrea Horikawa of Laguna Hills, his owner. “Ever since then, I have been teaching him tricks, and now he can fetch anything — cell phone, keys, newspaper, you name it — if I tell him to. He is working on a handstand right now.”
The winners of each category are as follows:
- Ugliest: 1st-Telopochti, a Xoloitzcuintli 2nd – Brundel, a Chow, 3rd – Lucy, a Chihuahua
- Best Trick: 1st – Vinny Love, a Chihuahua-Russell mix; 2nd- Pepper; 3rd – Sausha, a Brussels Griffon
- Best Costume: 1st – Oscar Mayer, a Dachshund; 2nd – Skippy Alexander & Chanel #5, Chihuahuas; 3rd –Kobie, a Chihuahua
- Cutest Puppy: 1st – Lola, a mini Pinscher; 2nd – Midnight, a Siberian Husky; 3rd – Tuna, an English Bulldog
- Look-a-likes with Owner: 1st – Bambino, a golden retriever; 2nd – Kissi, a Maltese; 3rd – Brundel, a Chow.
- People’s Choice Award: Vinny Love, a Chihuahua-Russell mix.
Shoppers or families on their way to the theaters, too, could not help but turn toward the direction of the many whines, growls, and barks, as the furry contestants struggled to strut down the stage. A large crowd, both two and four-legged, had gathered.
“We came here from the Bay area to visit Disneyland, but I think this was a very fun experience, especially for the kids. Hopefully they will have a better, shaded stage next time,” said Eric Miller of San Jose.
Like all beauty pageants, this one carried a heartfelt message: “While the competition is full of fun for the entire dog-crazed community, it also allows the ‘Ugly’ to shine,” said Kellie Ciccoianni, marketing director at GardenWalk.
The contest certainly demonstrated that “ugly” is not necessarily “bad.” It’s just another word that can never measure up to how wonderful pets are.
After all, ugly is the new black.
Signing off, Sophie Roh
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Recent animal news:
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Then she was rescued—but from her perspective, that experience was in all probability, just as frightening as her initial ordeal. A stranger picked her up, put her in a strange vehicle that almost certainly contained the sights and sounds of other animals, and drove her to a facility with dozens of loud, barking dogs. She was poked and prodded by a veterinarian, was spayed, and then given a number of shots. Kennel doors opened and closed continually with food bowls being put in and taken out by any number of people.
As you see her become more confident, begin a few short activities outside of your home and yard. If she enjoys being out of the home, increase the duration of these outings. Long walks help relieve stress so when you get to this phase of training, you should see improvement by leaps and bounds.
And there, under the picnic table, is the dog … eating your prized rack of ribs.
“We’re looking for stories that are a little bit different, with people who are interesting and have a dog with an issue we haven’t dealt with before,” said Sheila Emery, a producer with the show.
A basic wellness check doesn’t cost much, and a big benefit to seeing a vet soon is that your friend can make contact with a clinic for other health issues and potential emergencies. The dog might be fine NOW, but what about next week, etc. She’ll spend a fortune going to emergency clinics if that’s her only option …
