'Wild Thang' Wins 2024 World's Ugliest Dog Contest
Have you heard of the idea that dogs often look like their owners? It's just a bit of fun, but there might be some truth in it, according to studies by the University of California — for example, women with long hair often like dogs with long, floppy ears.
This might come as bad news for Ann Lewis of Oregon, however — because her pet won the title of the World's Ugliest Dog.
The competition is held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in California, and has been running for nearly 50 years. Although it might seem like the competition is making fun of the dogs, the organizers say it "celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special."
It's about "showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful," the competition's website says.
Along with the competition, the organizers also try to teach people about the benefits of adopting animals. Animal shelter groups are at the event each year, with information about pets available to adopt.
There were eight dogs in this year's World's Ugliest Dog competition, and most of them were adopted from animal shelters.
This year's winner, chosen by a panel of judges, was Wild Thang, an 8-year-old Pekingese with messy fur and his tongue out.
Wild Thang had a disease as a puppy that stopped his teeth from growing, and caused muscle problems in one of his legs.
2024 was the fifth time Wild Thang entered the competition, and his first win. He and his owner got $5,000 and an interview on a national television program.
In second place was Rome, a 14-year-old pug in a wheelchair. Rome and his owner got $3,000.
And Daisy Mae, a 14-year-old mixed breed who was rescued from the streets, came in third, winning $2,000.
