August 11, 2025, 3:14 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Typically, all dog owners swear that their four-legged friend is the most beautiful, smartest, and greatest. However, in a particular competition, the focus is on the appearance of the dogs, but it’s about the world’s ugliest dog. This year, the title goes to Petunia.
Petunia is the “Ugliest Dog” of the Year
As of the weekend, the world’s ugliest dog is officially named Petunia. Her short stubby legs, bulging eyes, and wrinkled face earned the hairless bulldog mix the dubious title of “World’s Ugliest Dog.” However, this award, which has existed since the 1970s, is not meant to mock but to showcase the lovable sides of these dogs, according to the organizers.1
Rather, the aim is to highlight their endearing and beautiful qualities. Many of the participating dogs come from animal shelters. The event also encourages giving abandoned animals a new home. Many of the dogs have found new homes through their participation, it is said.
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Winners Can Enjoy the Title and a Hefty Prize Money
In addition to the title, Shannon Nyman, the owner of the two-year-old dog from Oregon (USA), can enjoy a prize of $5,000 (about 4,300 euros). Second place went to Jinny Lu, a five-year-old pug with a crooked, hanging tongue. He participated in 2023 but came up empty-handed then. This year, his owner, Michelle Grady, received a substantial prize of $3,000.2
Third place was secured by Poppy, a seven-year-old Chinese Crested. The dog is characterized by an almost completely hairless body, adorned with a few tufts of white hair. Her owners can also look forward to prize money and a trip to New York. But why would someone—leaving aside the financial aspect—enter their pet in such a competition? Is it about the owners’ desire for attention?
Many Questions Remain
Sure, this competition can mean a chance for a new home for dogs from shelters. But apparently, the winners already have loving homes. So, this platform is denied to potential shelter dogs. Therefore, this argument is not very convincing. Overall, there are several aspects of this competition that can be viewed critically.
Many of the participating dogs exhibit clear signs of breeding for extreme traits, which could potentially encourage people to want dogs of these breeds or appearances. The competition itself can also be seen critically. The moral elevation of the name and the attempt to reinterpret a title that is inherently negatively connoted seems quite contrived. Even if the organizers may have noble intentions, the event benefits significantly from being exploited by the media as an animal freak show.