In a recent turn of events, Wild Thang, an 8-year-old Pekingese from Coos Bay, Oregon, has been crowned the world’s ugliest dog after defeating seven other competitors in a competition held at the 2024 Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California. This marks Wild Thang’s first victory in the World’s Ugliest Dog contest, despite having participated five times before.
The event attracted a large number of dogs that had been rescued from shelters and adopted by their owners. Wild Thang was diagnosed with Care’s disease when he was just 10 months old, which prevented him from growing teeth and caused a muscular disorder in one of his legs. Despite these challenges, Wild Thang continued to participate in the contest each year with the hope of one day winning.
Ann Lewis, Wild Thang’s owner, is expected to receive a $5,000 bonus for her dog’s win and will also make an appearance on NBC’s Today show. The World’s Ugliest Dog contest has been held annually for almost 50 years with the goal of promoting the love and adoption of all animals. The idea for the contest originated in 1971 with Petaluma resident Ross Smith who organized the event to raise funds for the local community’s Old Adobe Association. Since then it has been hosted by the Sonoma-Marin Fair. This year’s jury included NBC News reporter Gadi Schwartz, human rights activist Linda Witong Abrahm and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
Rome, a 14-year-old pug won second place while Daisy Mae, a 14-year-old white mixed breed dog won third place in addition to online voting prizes. All three dogs received recognition and praise for their unique appearance and bravery during the competition.
In conclusion, this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog competition showcased not only unique animals but also highlighted important messages about animal welfare and adoption.
