Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekingese from Coos Bay, Ore., won the title of the “World’s Ugliest Dog” at the 2024 Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. The contest took place at the fair and most of the participating dogs were rescues who had previously lived in shelters before finding loving families.
Wild Thang resembles Chewbacca with his dangling tongue due to a medical condition as a puppy and a muscle ailment in one of his legs. He had attempted to win the competition five times in the past without success, but this year he finally emerged victorious. As the winner, Wild Thang was awarded a $5,000 prize and the opportunity to appear on NBC’s “The Today Show” in New York.
The contest aimed to celebrate dogs of all shapes and sizes, showing that it’s not always a bad thing to be perceived as “ugly” in the eyes of some. A 14-year-old pug named Rome finished as the runner-up and received a $3,000 prize. Overall, it was a celebration of unique beauty in dogs.
