How the Ugliest Dog in the World Finally Found a Home

May 3, 2001 Tayside, Scotland

After five years and at least five different owners, it looks like Temi has finally found someone who understands that beauty is only skin-deep.

Temi, who has been hailed the "Ugliest Dog in the World" has had quite a nomadic life.  Abandoned as a puppy in 1996, the long-legged Lurcher Staghound (a cross between a Greyhound and another breed) has since been in and out of shelters at least five times over the course of her life.

Each time she'd end up back at a shelter, the kennel attendents would try their best to match her with someone who wasn't so superficially picky about looks, but each time, Temi always seemed to be the last one picked.

"People just passed her by and opted for another—it was really heartbreaking," said shelter manager Rhonda Lyon at Animal Adoptions Tayside.

"Temi would be last in the queue for everyone."

When asked to try to describe the ugly dogling, Ms. Lyon said, "She has no looks whatsoever. If you had to point out an ugly dog, Temi would be the one."

They tried everything to find the pooch a home; £600 worth of newspaper ads were unsuccessful.  The high-pressure sales pitches didn't work, either.  Temi wagged her tail for visitors optimistically for eight months... no takers.

Finally, in wandered Mary Phin from Dundee.  Mary's previous dog had died last year, and she wasn't so much concerned with looks as she was with the idea of finding a special companion.

Temi was undoubtedly the one.

"She's not ugly, she's just a wee bit out of proportion," explains Ms. Phin.

"Her head's too small for her body. But she's a real darling. I'm delighted to have found a companion for life."

She adds, "There's no way Temi will end up in care ever again."

No recent photo of Temi could be acquired, and quite honesty, The Scoop was at a loss to imagine what an ugly dog could possibly look like.

So we ran it through the Muttcomputer, and based on the criteria given, this is the digitally-enhanced image that was produced:

Click on the picture

Temi, if that's what you look like, I wouldn't sweat it.  Some people are just weird.

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