World's Ugliest Profession

When she was found running loose in the streets of Clear Lake, California, the newly crowned "World's Ugliest Dog," Princess Abby, was suffering from a variety of ailments, including malnutrition, parasite infestation, and dental disease—but her worst problems were likely caused entirely by humans. Celebrity vet Karen "Doc" Halligan, one of the judges of the contest, says the Chihuahua's freakishly curved back (caused by hind legs that are nearly twice as long as the front ones), mismatched ears, and missing left eye may be because of inbreeding. "She's a poster child to spay and neuter your pets," Halligan said.

One might add that Princess Abby and other previous "World's Ugliest Dog" contestants such as the one pictured here are also poster children for refusing to patronize pet shops—which are notorious for being fronts for puppy mills (i.e., Inbreeding Central)—as well as "hobby" breeders, whose purebred pups are also prone to genetic defects.

Abby's defects may make her less than beautiful in some people's eyes, but the truly ugly ones are the people who churn out puppies just to make a buck.

Written by Alisa Mullins