I wasn't exactly looking for a dog -- let alone a Chihuahua that would one day enter the World's Ugliest Dog Competition! But when I met Jake four years ago, everything changed.

Jake was living in a foster home with five other rescued dogs and too many cats to even count. He stayed in a crate at night because he liked to chase the cats so much that no one got any sleep -- especially his foster mom. I used to go over to his foster mom's house and help with the animals. Jake stood out because he was so confident and demanding (aside from the fact that he was blind in one eye and completely deaf). He would scratch at my calves until I picked him up and I would end up holding him the whole time I was there.

I felt incredibly sad to learn that Jake spent the first nine years of his life in a puppy mill -- fathering many puppies at his own physical and perhaps mental expense. I couldn't get Jake out of my mind. After my third visit I decided to take him home, hoping I could find him a good home. My elderly dog Bentley was in his last stages of life and I was hesitant to bring Jake home, but I felt I had no other option. Jake ended up coming home with me to share the last month of Bentley’s life, and together they made quite a pair. They were the exact same color, with close to a 112-pound weight difference.

So that’s how Jake came to live with me in San Diego; however, the real journey began in March  2006 when I took Jake to visit my mom in San Diego. While there, we learned about the annual Del Mar Ugly Dog Contest, which was being held on the day of our arrival at my mom's place. My mom and I looked at each other and we knew right away we had to enter him -- if nothing else it would be a fun to see all the other dogs. We had no idea Jake would come in third place!

We think it might have to do with him lifting his leg on stage and marking his territory for all the judges to see. He also seemed to be very upset with the second-place winner, Tater Tot, as he snapped at her on stage as we were all taking our picture together. After the contest, Tater Tot’s mom (who also was the mom of the late Sam, former "World's Ugliest Dog") said we should enter Jake in the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition in June.

At the time I didn’t really think anything of it, but the more I considered it, the more I realized Jake would make a great "spokesdog" for dogs who have come from puppy mills. So we decided to enter him and that’s when the whirlwind began.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) also decided he would make a great spokesdog  for their Stop Puppy Mills Campaign. HSUS decided to sponsor Jake in the Sonoma-Marin Fair's World’s Ugliest Dog Contest.

When I entered Jake online, I started to get calls from the press. I knew I adopted Jake for a reason, I knew he was put on this earth for a reason, but I didn’t know he would become a famous spokesdog  for all the dogs suffering in puppy mills.

Jake may be ugly to some -- he is missing some hair due to autoimmune issues, has a crooked bald tail, is missing one eye, and is bowlegged due to genetic knee problems -- but that doesn’t mean he isn’t worthy of love and attention. Jake may have issues, but I wouldn’t trade him for the anything. He brings a smile to so many people's faces and makes me laugh on a daily basis.

We have a couple of weeks until the contest. It seems like Jake is starting to get nervous -- he has taken a look at his competition and it doesn’t look good! Either way, it’s for a good cause and we will have a lot of fun.