What is the prize for the ugliest dog?

Held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dogs Contest 2024 gets a prize money of  $5,000.

Wild Thang, an 8-year-old Pekingese, has been crowned the winner of this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog competition.

In addition to the cash prize, the winner also gets the opportunity to be featured on a limited-edition can of root beer, the fair said.

The annual contest emphasizes the importance of adopting all animals.

According to the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest website, the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is not about poking fun at ‘ugly’ dogs, but having fun with some wonderful characters.

Most of the dogs participating in the contest, which has been going on since the 1970s, are rescues. This year’s contenders included Chihuahua mixes, Chinese Crested mixes, and Pug mixes.

This is the first time Wild Thang, who competed in the annual event at least 5 times, won the competition. Earlier, he won the second place thrice before coming out on top this year.

The owner of the Pekingese Ann Lewis got a cheque of $5,000 and will be featured on NBC’s The Today Show.

Growing up in Los Angeles Wild Thang now lives in North Bend, Oregano.

With his long and extremely fluffy coat and stick-out tongue, Wild Thang’s unique looks are attributed to a case of canine distemper when he was a 10-week-old puppy.

The disease hindered the growth of his teeth, leading to the dangling of his tongue, and muscular disorder in one of his legs.

The judges of this year’s contest included NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz, human rights advocate Linda Witong Abrahm and the 34th Treasurer of California Fiona Ma.

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, one of the judges, in an AP video, said, “Wild Thang was a fan favorite … The fact that he had been competing five times and only came in second … really tugged at our heartstrings. He deserved to win.”

“He has never had a haircut,” she said. “He likes to sleep on ice packs, believe it or not. And he is just a sweet dog.”

Rome, a 14-year-old pug in a wheelchair, and a first-time participant won the second prize and received $3,000. Daisy Mae, a mixed-breed dog with a white coat, won third place and took home $2,000.

Rome’s owner Michelle Grady said she loved the fact that the competition represented dogs that are imperfect — “imperfectly perfect”.

Daisy May’s owner Elizabeth Whitehouse said May’s winning took her by surprise. She thought May was the most beautiful ugly dog, but others didn’t see the beauty in her as she did.

Last year, Scooter, an almost-bald, 7-year-old Chinese Crested dog with reversed hind legs took home the first prize.