They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and nowhere is that more evident than at the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. This offbeat competition, as it is held in Petaluma, California, part of Sonoma-Marin Fair, revels in the one-of-a-kind beauty of the dogs who would not find a place in a Westminster dog show but win hearts with their unconventional good looks.

The contest this year on June 21st, 2024, once again proved the maxim that cuteness just isn’t everything. Ugly contest winner Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekingese from Coos Bay, Oregon, defied convention with his tongue perpetually lolling, a wrinkled face, and general scraggly appearance.

But the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is so much more than a quest to crown an “ugliest.” It’s one of unconditional love—many rescue pups and shelter adoptees compete in it. The contest really sheds a light on finding beauty in imperfections but also in the uniqueness of all dogs.

Let’s take a closer look at the heartwarming chaos that unfolded at the 2024 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest.

The contest had different breeds of canine that were unique in their own brand of “ugliness.” This included Chinese Cresteds sans hair, beaked like dinosaurs, sporting spiky mohawks; smushed-faced Pugs with bulging eyes, and Chihuahuas, forever looking grim.

The lot of the judges was a merry sight during pre-contest festivities, when proud owners paraded their fur babies, some of these highly fancifully dressed up in outlandish costumes or attired in themed regalia to match the dog’s particular attributes. 

Here, one would see pugs as pirates, Chihuahuas in tutus, or a Chinese Crested conveniently wearing a mane of colorful yarn. It was a picture of creativity and love accorded by people to their unlikely looking canine companions.

The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest itself, for example, is a rather endearing mashup of a beauty pageant and an obstacle course. The judges—a celebrity panel composed of local dignitaries—judge the dogs on overall “ugliness,” but with special consideration to unique features, personality, and stage presence.

The judges panel this year comprised of– The group of five judges, comprising Schwartz; Linda Witong Abrahm, former Marin County deputy district attorney and human rights advocate; Brian Sobel, consultant at Sobel Communications; Amy Gutierrez, sideline reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area, and Fiona Ma, California’s state treasurer. 

It’s a contest in rounds, so the crowd cheers for their favorites—the contestants who prance confidently, toddle cutely, others almost stealing the shows with their complete lack of caring for the whole situation. That’s the charm in part of this contest: The playful chaos.

The title of World’s Ugliest Dog also comes with $5,000, a yearlong supply of Mug Root Beer and an all-expenses paid trip to New York City to appear on the Today show on NBC on Monday morning.

With a tongue forever lolling outside the mouth and an endearing unkempt look, Wild Thang became an audience favorite in his very short time on the floor. But then his owner, Emily Joanne Kavanagh, went on to tell the audience that he was a rescue, over health issues, in his backstory, which proved very touching to the judges. Wild Thang himself seemed to have more than enough charisma for everything to be sealed right there. As a puppy, he contracted distemper while in foster care, a potentially fatal viral disease that claimed the life of another puppy in his litter.

They all erupted into cheers when Wild Thang was announced as the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. Kavanagh beamed with pride, and Wild Thang, ever the charmer, wagged his tail enthusiastically—at least, as much as a dog perpetually lolling his tongue out of his mouth can.

The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is so much more than a fun competition. It is about rescue dogs and brings attention to pet adoption. So many previous winners have had the contest change their lives into media darlings and ambassadors for their unique breeds.

It also puts good dog ownership under the limelight. All dogs entering the contest participate in a check-up from a vet for their health and well-being assessment. That means this light-hearted competition encourages a community of dog appreciation—whatever the pedigree or physical appearance.

Does this, therefore, make it a contest of ugliness? Far from it. It’s quirky, imperfect, and unconditional in its lovability. A reminder that the real beauty of a dog innately is his personality and resilience and the simplistic joy it brings into our lives. Most always, as Wild Thang’s victory lap proved, behind some really unconventional looks like the biggest hearts and winning personalities.