An eight-year-old Pekingese with a muscle disorder has won the title many dogs might not want: being named the world’s ugliest dog.
Wild Thang, of Coos Bay, Oregon, who was diagnosed with canine distemper as a 10-week-old puppy, which stunted the growth of his teeth and caused a muscle disorder in one of his paws, won the title Friday .
Wild Thang, of Coos Bay, Oregon, who was diagnosed with canine distemper as a 10-week-old puppy, which stunted the growth of his teeth and caused a muscle injury in one of his legs, won the title Friday .
Eight dogs, who were adopted from shelters, competed for the title at the 2024 Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California.
An eight-year-old Pekingese from Coos Bay, Oregon, with a muscle disorder has won the title of world’s ugliest dog
Wild Thang owner Ann Lewis (pictured) will receive $5,000 for the win and will appear on NBC’s Today show.
The unusually cute winner has a crown of curly gray hair and a tongue sticking out of his mouth.
The event has been going on for over 50 years and, according to the website, it’s not about “making fun of ugly dogs, but about having fun with some wonderful characters.”
The site notes that “the contest speaks to the importance of upholding the adoration of all animals and the benefits of adoption.”
Organizers say the real goal is to show the world that ‘these dogs are really beautiful!’
The unusually cute winner has a crown of curly gray hair and a tongue sticking out of his mouth.
Ann Lewis hugged her dog Wild Thang after winning the World’s Ugliest Dog contest at the Marin-Sonoma County Fair.
Third place went to a 14-year-old white-coated mixed-breed dog named Daisy Mae, who was rescued from the street when she was two years old and lost her teeth, hair and sight.
Wild Thang owner Ann Lewis will receive $5,000 for the win and will appear on NBC’s Today show.
She previously said her dog is just “glugly,” explaining, “He’s a healthy, happy Glugly type.”
The runner-up in the contest was a 14-year-old pug named Rome, from Rohnert Park, California.
The runner-up in the contest was a 14-year-old pug named Rome, while a 14-year-old white-coated mixed breed dog named Daisy Mae, who was rescued from the street when she was two years old and lost her teeth. she, hair and vision, she took third place.
Last year, a Scooter, a seven-year-old Chinese crested boy named Scooter, who narrowly avoided being euthanized after being born with deformed hind legs, won the title of world’s ugliest dog.
A Chinese crested dog called Scooter won the title last year after he narrowly avoided being put down after being born with deformed hind legs.
Scooter, who was nearly euthanized in his early years because of his birth defects, swept the competition in Petaluma after being compared to a “hairy hippopotamus.”
“Today, Scooter not only survives but thrives,” his biography on the contest website read. “He has no idea that he is different from any other dog.”