By Rebecca Simmons
Jake, a contestant in the Word's Ugliest Dog Contest held earlier this year, is proof that you don't need to be beautiful—er, ugly—to be famous. Despite losing the contest, this pint-sized crowd pleaser has nonetheless rocketed to stardom, and his message about the perils of puppy mills has gone global. But despite being celebrated for his less-than-appealing appearance, the only ugly thing about Jake is his puppy mill past.
Since the World's Ugliest Dog contest wrapped on June 23, Jake has proved to be one popular pooch, appearing on the Geraldo at Large show and gaining mention in People magazine. He's also been promoting his blog and peddling his "Who's Your Daddy" t-shirts. Jake's celebrity doesn't end there—this fall he'll be featured in an Animal Planet show documenting the World's Ugliest Dog contest, and an HSUS stamp featuring his mug will soon hit the shelves.
Despite his demanding schedule, Jake takes time to relax and, throughout everything, remains true to his mission—to educate people about puppy mills.
"Jake is getting older, and all the fame is a bit much at times, but he knows what he does is important so he will keep working away to reach his goal of telling everyone about the horrors of puppy mills," said J.J. Scheele, Jake's guardian.
Jake's beginnings as a puppy mill pooch—he lived in a mass dog breeding facility as a stud dog for nearly nine years—nearly killed the tenacious Chihuahua and left him with a host of physical and emotional problems.
"He is a perfect example of the kind of dogs held for breeding at a puppy mill—he's a dog with genetic problems, multiple health issues and has had no socialization with people," said Scheele.
Despite his shortcomings, Jake has become a celebrated spokesdog for the issue of puppy mills. His message to dog lovers is simple: Avoid pet stores, newspaper ads and Internet sales—where puppy mill puppies are sold—and instead look for a new pooch at local shelter, breed rescue group or through a reputable breeder.
"I run into so many people wanting new puppies," said Scheele. "They buy them from pet stores or online, and most of the time they find out later their puppy actually came from a puppy mill. They find out because the dog ultimately has genetic health issues even before the age of one. It's heartbreaking to see these animals suffer and the families go through the pain of dealing with chronic health issues or, worse yet, having to put a dog down because she was suffering. To prevent further suffering, people need to know about puppy mills."
Jake may soon retire from the Ugly Dog contest circuit, but with so many consumers to educate about the ugliness of puppy mills, his goal of stopping the mass-breeding facilities is far from over. Help Jake make a difference for pooches everywhere by downloading and distributing the How to Buy a Puppy brochure, talking to your friends and family about puppy mills or by buying a Dog Saver kit, full of tools for educating your community.
Rebecca Simmons is the outreach communications coordinator for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.
