Frenchies, among the most sought-after and expensive dogs, have claimed another honour – the world’s ugliest.
Petunia, a two-year-old hairless French bulldog mix, has been declared the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest held at the Sonoma County Fair, in the Californian city of Santa Rosa, on Friday.
Owner Shannon Nyman from the state of Oregon accepted the prize of $US5,000 ($7,660) on behalf of Petunia, who has short, stunted legs and a wrinkled face.
The competition has been held in the city since the 1970s.
Second place was taken by Jinny Lu, a five-year-old pug with a crooked, protruding tongue, who competed without success in the 2023 competition. This time, owner Michelle Grady took home a $US3,000 prize.
Poppy, a seven-year-old Chinese crested dog with little hair and a lot of bare skin, won the third prize of $US2,000.
The dogs were shown on a stage in front of an applauding audience, with a jury voting on appearance, personality and audience reaction.
Petunia and Nyman have also won a flight to New York to appear on NBC’s Today Show on Monday.
Last year’s winner was Wild Thang, a Pekinese with a protruding tongue resulting from a virus caught as a puppy.
The contest’s organisers insist that ugliness is not the sole characteristic sought, and the dogs’ more attractive sides are evaluated as well.
Many of them come from animal shelters and the competition aims to encourage adoption rather than ridicule.
—AAP
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