Ugliest Dog in the World Contest

Surfing through the telly last night, I came across a show titled "The Ugliest Dog in the World". No, I'm not making this up. Honest. Every year pet owners flock to Sonoma-Marin, California to proudly parade their specimen freaks of nature. Mutts from all over the US and Canada come together to pit their ugly mugs against each other (hence the title - Ugliest dog in the World).

When I first heard of the contest, I'd dismissed it as a colossal waste of time. How ugly can a dog really be, I reckoned. I tuned in to find out. And boy, was I surprised. I was more than surprised. I'd go as far as to say that I was shocked.

Now I've seen my fair share of surly pooches in my lifetime, but nothing could have prepared me for this. This was not your everyday Peter Crouch kind of ugly. These pooches were a sheer affront to nature. Some of the dogs on the show were so ugly, in fact, they almost make one believe in a higher power. Surely only a spiteful, sadomasochistic God could be responsible for such abominations. That, or years of selective inbreeding.

Oh, and just in case you have to know, here is a picture of last year's winner, Sam. Click at your own risk.