An 8-year-old Pekingese is the winner of this 12 months’s World’s Ugliest Canine Contest.
That is the primary victory for Wild Thang, a 5-time competitor within the annual occasion held on the Sonoma-Marin Truthful within the northern California metropolis of Petaluma. The Pekingese, whose proprietor Ann Lewis acquired $5,000 in prize cash, positioned second 3 times earlier than popping out on high this 12 months.
Along with his lengthy and very fluffy coat and stick-out tongue, Wild Thang, who grew up in Los Angeles however now resides in North Bend, Ore., was one in every of eight canines vying for the distinguished title on Friday night. (In line with a spokesperson for the competition, there have been 10 contestants, however two dropped out. Wild Thang was a late entry to the lineup, which is why he’s not featured on the principle net web page for this 12 months’s competitors.)
“Wild Thang was a fan favourite,” stated California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, one of many judges, in an Related Press video on the occasion. “The truth that he had been competing for 5 instances and solely got here in second [until now], sort of just like the bridesmaid and by no means the bride, actually tugged at our heartstrings. He deserved to win.”
Ma added some enjoyable info about Wild Thang.
“He is by no means had a haircut,” she stated. “He likes to sleep on ice packs, consider it or not. And he’s only a candy canine.”
A lot of the canine within the contest, which has been happening because the Seventies, are rescues. In line with his biography on the honest’s press web site, Wild Thang contracted distemper from a rescue foster when he was younger. “He survived, however not with out everlasting harm,” his bio states. “His tooth didn’t develop in, inflicting his tongue to remain out and his proper entrance leg paddles 24/7.”
“This world-renowned occasion celebrates the imperfections that make all canine particular and distinctive,” states the World’s Ugliest Canine Contest web site. “The annual World’s Ugliest Canine Contest will not be about making enjoyable of “ugly” canine, however having enjoyable with some great characters and exhibiting the world that these canine are actually lovely!”
An aged pug in a wheelchair named Rome got here in second, successful $3,000; Daisy Mae, a mixed-breed canine with a white coat, took the $2,000 third-place prize.
Final 12 months, the competition was received by Scooter, an almost-bald, 7-year-old Chinese language Crested canine, with reversed hind legs.
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