Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekingese from Oregon with wild, frizzy hair and a long tongue that flops out of his mouth, was crowned the winner of the 2024 World's Ugliest Dog Contest on Friday at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California.
Wild Thang has competed in the contest five times and had come close to winning before, but as judge Fiona Ma said, "He was a fan favorite … he’s kind of like the bridesmaid and never the bride. He really tugged at our heart strings and deserved to win."
As a puppy, Wild Thang contracted distemper and nearly died. The virus left him with permanent damage and his teeth never grew in properly, so his tongue hangs out of his mouth. The win got Wild Thang's owner Ann Lewis a $5000 check and bragging rights. Wild Thang receives a lot of attention, and appeared this morning on the Today show.
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