Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekingese, was crowned the winner at the “World’s Ugliest Dog” competition on Friday after years of vying for the title.
Hailing from Coos Bay, Oregon, Wild Thang triumphed over seven other competitors at the event held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. Among the contenders were Rome, a 14-year-old pug who secured second place, and Daisy May, a 14-year-old mixed-breed rescue dog, who took third place.
Wild Thang and his owner, Ann Lewis, were awarded a $5,000 prize. Rome received $3,000, and Daisy May received $2,000. This marks Wild Thang’s fifth time competing in the contest, having previously secured second place three times.
The competition, which has been around for nearly 50 years, welcomes dogs of “all breeds and sizes,” according to information from the contest’s website, as reported by WION.
“The annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is not about making fun of ‘ugly’ dogs, but having fun with some wonderful characters and showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful!” the website states.
Lewis revealed that Wild Thang’s unique appearance is due to a disease that prevented the growth of his teeth, leaving his tongue hanging outside his mouth. He also suffers from a muscular disorder in one of his legs.
According to his bio, Wild Thang contracted distemper as a puppy from a rescue foster and “barely” survived. Despite these challenges, Lewis describes Wild Thang as a “healthy, happy Glugly (glamourous/ugly) guy.”
