Homely Hounds Get Their Chance to Shine in Animal Planet's WORLD'S UGLIEST DOG COMPETITION 2008, Hosted by Beth Ostrosky

Homely Hounds Get Their Chance to Shine in Animal Planet's WORLD'S UGLIEST DOG COMPETITION 2008, Hosted by Beth Ostrosky

- The Underdogs Compete for the Crown on October 25 -

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- In the pet world, less-than-pretty pooches rarely walk down the red carpet or grace the cover of magazines reserved for statuesque purebreds. Plagued with patchy fur, crooked legs, lazy eyes and terrible teeth, these lovable underdogs hardly ever receive their due time in the limelight. But in the battle for the coveted title of World's Ugliest Dog 2008, these frightful features are the contestants' saving grace. The WORLD'S UGLIEST DOG COMPETITION 2008, airing on Animal Planet Saturday, October 25, at 10 PM (ET/PT), follows these outcasts of dog society as they compete for the crown. Animal activist, model and television personality Beth Ostrosky hosts the event for Animal Planet as viewers find out that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.

A fixture of the Sonoma-Marin Fair in California and now in its 20th year, the WORLD'S UGLIEST DOG COMPETITION brings pet owners and audiences from around the nation to the town of Petaluma, where judges determine which dog deserves the title of "ugliest." The contestants may not be beautiful, but they're proud to show off their assets-warts and all-in this yearly un-beauty pageant. Along with their looks, every dog brings a big personality, proving that you don't have to be attractive to steal the show.

The competition this year is tighter than ever as two former champs return to reclaim their title. Among this year's contestants are the 2007 title-holder and formerly homeless dog, Elwood, from Sewell, New Jersey, and Archie, the 2006 champ, from Phoenix. Elwood and Archie shouldn't get too comfortable, however, because there are plenty of homely looking pups looking for their piece of the pie. Newcomer Princess Chelsea Nicole surely has a name fit for royalty but can she pull an upset and beat out the boys? Another dog, Reggie, from Phoenix has owners who gave him the frightening nickname Frankendog. And then there's Gus, a Chinese Crested purebred, who has only three legs and one eye, which could give him an edge in the competition. Only one dog emerges victorious, but the rest will surely paw their way into viewers' hearts and gain a new place of respect among audiences.

Ostrosky, well-known for her role as a national spokesperson for The North Shore Animal League of America and her relationship with Howard Stern, welcomes the canine contestants and their owners as they prepare for the main event and gives audiences a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives.

"Every dog deserves a chance to shine, and these dogs need love and attention just like any other," says Ostrosky. "I think in the special, people will see how much these dogs give to their owners in return. All of the contestants are beautiful, and I made sure to shower them all with love."

Beginning mid-October, AnimalPlanet.com will have many exciting features surrounding the WORLD'S UGLIEST DOG COMPETITION including ugly dog screensavers, a World's Ugliest Dog quiz and exclusive video from the competition. Viewers also can weigh-in on the action by taking the online poll asking who they think really is the ugliest.

The WORLD'S UGLIEST DOG COMPETITION 2008 is produced by Wholly Cow Productions for Animal Planet. Lisa Silver and Rick Silver are the executive producers for Wholly Cow Productions, and Dawn Sinsel is the executive producer for Animal Planet.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 93 million homes in the US; online assets http://www.animalplanet.com/, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.

Source: Animal Planet

CONTACT: Melissa Berry, +1-240-662-2946, Melissa_Berry@discovery.com, or
Erin Pryor, +1-240-662-6781, Erin_Pryor-cw@discovery.com, both of Animal
Planet

Web site: http://www.animalplanet.com/
http://www.discovery.com/

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