Petunia, a 2-year-old hairless French bulldog mix, has been named the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, California.
Owner Shannon Nyman of Oregon accepted the $5,000 prize on behalf of Petunia, who has short, stunted legs and a wrinkled face. The competition has been held in the city since the 1970s.
Second place went to Jinny Lu, a 5-year-old pug with a crooked, protruding tongue, who competed unsuccessfully in the 2023 contest. This time, owner Michelle Grady took home $3,000.
Poppy, a 7-year-old Chinese crested dog with little hair and a lot of bare skin, won the third-place prize of $2,000.
The dogs were shown on stage before an applauding audience, with judges voting on appearance, personality and audience reaction.
Petunia and Nyman also won a flight to New York to appear on NBC’s “Today” show on Monday.
Last year’s winner was Wild Thang, a Pekingese with a protruding tongue caused by a virus contracted as a puppy.
Contest organizers say ugliness is not the only trait considered, and the dogs’ more appealing qualities are also evaluated. Many come from animal shelters, and the competition aims to promote adoption rather than ridicule.
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