In the Doghouse
They’re furry. They’re friendly. But most of all, they’re ugly. You voted on pups so ugly they’re cute in 417 Magazine’s Ugly Dog Contest, and we’ve got a peek at the first winner.
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Meet Elvis. He is one ugly dog. But don’t hold that against him. With the temperament of a golden retriever and the fighting spirit of a bulldog, it’s no wonder Elvis has melted hearts and come out as the first of three winners in our 417 Magazine Ugly Dog Contest. (Check back in the October 2009 and November 2009 issues of 417 Magazine to meet the other two winners.) Readers submitted photos of the most endearingly unattractive pups in 417-land, narrowed it down to 14 finalists and started eliminating pooches week by week.
And then there were three—winners, that is. Each dog receives a full makeover by Pet Warehouse, including a bath, grooming, pedicure, a new collar and a toy.
Owner Lesly Thurmon adopted Elvis in 2004. She was an employee at the humane society in Columbia, where Elvis was recovering from neglect and abuse by his previous owners. When he was brought into the shelter, Elvis’s severe case of fleas left him nearly hairless—a strange fate for a long-haired Chihuahua. But once Thurmon took him in, he began growing back patches of his hair—and confidence. And now, Elvis leads the pack at his new home in Springfield, making friends with his owner’s new neighbors and playing with Thurmon’s five other dogs. “Elvis is the smallest, but he rules the roost,” says Thurmon. “People think it’s mass chaos with six dogs, but it’s normal to me. It isn’t as hectic as you might think.”
Before adopting Elvis, Thurmon was positive she’d never own a Chihuahua. But after caring for Elvis at the humane society, Thurmon knew she wanted to take him home and spoil him. Elvis now spends his days sunning on the porch with special dog-formulated sunscreen and binge-eating entire boxes of sugar cookies by mistake.
