Like the winners of the Miss America contest or the Nobel Prize, the pageantries and celebrations of the World’s Ugliest Dog did not end when he stepped off the stage.

The two-year-old Chihuahua-Shih Tzu mix named Peanut won the big trophy and the admiration of his peers at the Marin-Sonoma Fair in Petaluma, CA last week, but that was only the beginning of his journey.

Last night, Peanut and his owner Holly Chandler were guests on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Kimmel, who was familiar with the tough road that Peanut, a rescue dog and burn victim has traveled, wanted to make sure he could give the little dog an experience that he would not soon forget: a makeover.

Kimmel’s initial take on Peanut was that “he’s either the World’s Ugliest Dog or the World’s Prettiest Rat.”

In the montage, Peanut is put through all the essentials of a makeover: grooming, accessories and wardrobe. When Kimmel finally brings him on stage, dressed in a multicolored polka dot bowtie and his hair expertly combed, Peanut looks like a star.

Benjamin Franklin said it best: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This sentiment is especially relevant right now, as March is Poison Prevention Awareness Month. If you haven’t already, now is the time to review the potential poisons and toxins in your home, and make sure they are safely out of reach of your pets.

Dogs can’t always dine on the same things people do. Make sure you keep the following foods away from your dog, as even the smallest taste might be dangerous:

Alcoholic beverages

Avocado

Chocolate

Coffee

Macadamia nuts

Onions

Raisins and grapes

Xylitol (an artificial sweetener found in sugarless gum)

Yeast

2. Prevent a Kitchen Nightmare

There are other things to consider keeping away from your pet besides food. Dish soap, degreasing products, dishwasher tablets and steel-wool cleaning pads can all pose a health risk to a nosy pup. Consider using cabinet locks to keep your clean-up supplies away from curious canines, or store them out of the kitchen in a place where you can keep them up and out of reach.

3. The Rx for Safety

Keep your medication in its original, safety top containers, and store it high out of reach of your pet — preferably in child- or pet-proofed cabinets. With regard to flea medication prescriptions: Don’t give your dog flea medication prescribed for a cat, as these meds are not interchangeable among species. Cat-specific medications may contain additives that can harm your dog. Check with your veterinarian about flea medications that can accommodate both cats and dogs.

Similar to the kitchen, you’ll want to have a place to store your laundry supplies where they’ll be safely out of reach of your pet. Detergent, dryer sheets and stain removers are all potential poisons if your dog eats them.

Fresh flowers can make your home look and smell beautiful, but sometimes, dogs just can’t help themselves to a nibble or two … or twelve. Lilies, poinsettias, oleander and daffodils are all potentially poisonous if ingested, so keep temptation at bay by nixing the table floral decorations.

Poison safety doesn’t end once you step outside the house!

Landscape chemicals: Keep lawn and garden chemicals, such as fertilizer and weed killer, stored in a secure bin with a lid when you’re finished using them.

Garage chemicals: Bug spray, lighter fluid, gasoline, charcoal — if it’s in the garage or shed, it’s probably not suitable for your dog. The sweet smell and taste of anti-freeze is often enticing to most pets, but it can be fatal if ingested. Make it a habit to put all chemicals away before you leave the garage (in an out-of-the-way cabinet, if possible).

Trash: Invest in a tamper-proof garbage can that your pet can’t open. Trash bins are treasure (read: poison) troves for curious dogs. The potential for your dog to find and eat something he shouldn’t is too great with an unattended trash can.

Kimmel gave Peanut some sound advice: “I hope this doesn’t change who you are…it’s what’s on the inside that counts.”

He looks beautiful, doesn’t he?

There isn’t much you can change about Peanut to make him into a different dog. A bowtie and combing doesn’t change much about the pain and suffering this friendly dog went through to get to where he is.

A makeover is a nice gift, but truthfully Peanut should be proud to be who he is. You do you, Peanut. We love you just the way you are.

Peanut and his human live in Greenville, South Carolina. They entered Peanut in the contest in order to raise awareness around the subject of animal abuse.