An eight-year-old Pekingese named Wild Thang has been crowned as the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog contest. This unusual-looking dog had a dangling tongue and resembled Chewbacca. The contest was held at the 2024 Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif., where Wild Thang competed against seven other canine contestants, most of whom were rescues previously living in shelters.
Wild Thang, hailing from Coos Bay, Ore., has made several attempts to win the World’s Ugliest Dog competition in previous years, but this was his first victory. Thanks to his unique appearance and story, Wild Thang was awarded a $5,000 prize, along with a trip to New York to appear on NBC’s “The Today Show.” Rome, a 14-year-old pug in a wheelchair, came in second place and received $3,000 as a prize.
At just 10 weeks old, Wild Thang suffered from a disease that prevented him from growing teeth and caused his tongue to hang out of his mouth. He also had a muscle ailment in one of his legs. Despite these challenges, Wild Thang’s unique appearance and story captured the judges’ attention, crowning him as the “World’s Ugliest Dog” in this year’s contest.