There is no creature in the world that exemplifies love, loyalty, and devotion like a dog. Steadfast, always there with their cute wagging tails, their soft, wet noses, who wouldn’t want to cuddle up with a dog if given the chance?

And then, there’s Sam. Sam is a 14-year-old pedigreed Chinese Crested. Sam is reigning champion of San Francisco’s ugly dog contest. Judges recoiled in horror when Sam was placed on the judging table. People refuse to look at him. And quite frankly, he’s ugly. That’s why he keeps winning the contest.

But I think he’s beautiful. Why? Look at each component separately. There’s the hair. Three tufts of it over an otherwise bald body. Cute, in a newborn/mutant kind of way. There’s the overbite. There’s the milky eyes (Sam is blind). But most of all, Sam was his owner’s only companion while she recovered from radioactive cancer therapy. Sam’s love for her is unconditional, as is her love for him. Numerous ailments will probably mean that Sam won’t make it through the year. But he made a difference in someone’s life. Knowing this…

…is THIS a face you could still call ugly?

The answer, of course, is yes. He won a prize for it after all. And no, there has been no photoshopping, no make-up, no special effects. Pity poor, misunderstood, lovable Sam.