Furless, wrinkled, and fabulous – meet the 2025 World's Ugliest Dog competition champion!
Santa Rosa, California - It's a well-known fact that taste is subjective, but the jury was unanimous when it came to Petunia: the bulldog mix was voted "World's Ugliest Dog" on Friday night.
This year's winner obviously impressed with her short legs, furless body, and wrinkled face with protruding googly eyes.
However, her owner was probably delighted with the $5,000 dollars in prize money and the media attention.
For the ugly puppy, winning the title could mark the start of a stellar career – the duo also won a chance to appear on NBC's Today Show in New York on Monday morning!
This year's runner-up is Jinny Lu the pug, a 5-year-old dog that stands out for a protruding tongue and crooked teeth.
Good-humored dog competition has been held since the 1970s
Last year, Wild Thang managed to win over the jury.
The friendly Pekinese was infected with the highly contagious distemper as a puppy and suffered permanent damage.
He was the only one of his siblings to survive and is now the face of a campaign calling for vaccinations against the viral disease.
The highly acclaimed competition has been running for more than 50 years and, according to the organizers, is about celebrating imperfection and uniqueness.
The judges assess the dogs' appearance as well as their character and the public's reaction.
Many of the dogs taking part in the competition live in animal shelters and are desperately hoping to find a new home.
Cover photo: Noah Berger/AP/dpa