HEAVY PETTING: The World's Ugliest Dog

Well ladies and gents, here he is, the World's Ugliest Dog, Gus. The hairless, three-legged, one-eyed pup (who also happens to be battling skin cancer) may get all the glory, but according to the BBC, his owner, Jeanenne Teed, will use the $1,600 prize money towards his cancer treatment. Like many of the past winners of the contest, Gus was rescued from a bad home. He may not be much of a looker, but I bet he's a real sweetie.

Here's where you come in: Check out the adoption pages at the non-profit, volunteer run Pets With Disabilities, where you can find lots of special guys who need homes (not all of them are quite as "special" as Gus, but you might be surprised at how many beautiful, wonderful pets get left behind because they are blind or deaf, for example), or check out their online store, where proceeds benefit animals in need.

WANT MORE HEAVY PETTING? See "Piglet fears mud" and "Send someone you love a Dreamlet right now"