Wild Thang’ lives up to his name, finally crowned ‘World’s Ugliest Dog’ after years of falling short | Fox
PETALUMA — “Glugly” is the word Ann Lewis uses to describe Wild Thang, her 8-year-old Pekingese from Coos Bay, Oregon.
“It’s glam meets ugly,” Lewis said before she and her excessively hairy gray-black pup walked down the red carpet and across the stage, hoping that Wild Thang would be declared the World’s Ugliest Dog at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Friday.
Wild Thang’s Victory
“This is our fifth year in the competition, this could be our year!” Lewis declared.
And indeed it was, when Gadi Schwartz, NBC News correspondent, declared Wild Thang the ugliest dog in the world to a packed crowd at the fair. The newly crowned canine beat out seven competitors for the title.
Ann Lewis from Coos Bay, Oregon, holds Wild Thang, her eight-year-old Pekingese, after Wild Thang was declared the ugliest at the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, on June 21, 2024. (Courtesy Sarah Stierch via Bay City News)
A Look That Captivates Judges
The group of five judges, consisting of 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, couldn’t resist Wild Thang’s looks that only a mother could love.
“He looks like a Roomba!” said Sobel when the pup was presented to the judges.
A Story of Resilience
Wild Thang’s appearance can be attributed to a case of distemper when he was a puppy, which he barely survived. The virus left him unable to grow teeth, resulting in his tongue perpetually dangling out of his mouth. It also left him with a right leg that Lewis calls “wonky,” making it challenging for him to walk long distances.
When Wild Thang isn’t basking in his newly found celebrity status, he and Lewis raise funds to help rescue Pekingese dogs in war zones in Ukraine. To date, they have helped seven dogs relocate to the United States and Canada.
A Notable Prize
The title of World’s Ugliest Dog also comes with $5,000, a year’s 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.
Wild Thang’s victory is not only a recognition of his unique appearance but also a celebration of his resilience and the unconditional love he receives from his owner, Ann Lewis.
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