SAY SO LONG TO SAM

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted November 23, 2005)

I guess by now you've heard the sad news, Sam -- the World's Ugliest Dog -- has died.

It happened this past weekend in Santa Barbara, California.

Back in the Summer, when Sam won the World's Ugliest Dog contest (for the third straight year) we did a story about it on our newscast, and showed Sam's picture.

After the story, Demetria and I chuckled about Sam's looks.... and judging by the emails I received, several people thought we had been insensitive buffoons who had offended the dog.

I answered the emails, explaining how Sam's owner was happy with her dog's looks, and took great pride in showing him off, and entering him in the Ugly Dog contest every year.

I pointed out that Sam was living a wonderful life.
He traveled many places.... he appeared on television shows.... he was pampered, well fed and loved.
He even met Donald Trump.

Sam was responsible for bringing together his owner, Susie Lockheed, and her current boyfriend.
The boyfriend had apparently spotted Susie and Sam pictured together on an internet dating site.
(I'm not sure which of the 3 was looking for a date).

Sam was just shy of his 15th birthday when he died -- well over 100 in dog years.
Not a bad life.

And here's a bright side to all of this.
Since Sam was a shoo-in for the Ugly Dog title every year, the door is now wide open for a whole new generation of ugly dogs.

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