Latest news with #SonomaCountyFair
NDTV
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Hairless Bulldog, Petunia, Crowned World's Ugliest Dog, Wins Rs 4 Lakh In Prize
The World's Ugliest Dog contest has picked a new winner this year - a two-year-old hairless English-French bulldog mix named Petunia. The pup from Eugene, Oregon, and her owner, Shannon Nyman, won a Rs 4.3 lakh ($5,000) prize during the event at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, California, last week. Little Petunia emerged victorious by beating 10 competitors, which included Little Prince Wonder, an 8-year-old Chinese Crested, and Nezumi, a 13-year-old chihuahua. According to a report in New York Times, Petunia was rescued from a backyard breeder and hoarder in Las Vegas and brought to Oregon by Luvable Dog Rescue. Unfortunately, she doesn't have any hair because of her original breeder's unethical practices. "I think she's feeling great. She loves all the attention, she loves all the affection, all the humans petting her," Ms Nyman said. Having won the contest, Petunia will now appear on limited-edition cans of Mug Root Beer, a sponsor of the contest. She is being described as a "gentle soul who adores other dogs, cats and people," Last year, an old Pekingese named Wild Thang won the contest, having already participated in five editions of the competition previously. The runner-up in the competition was a 14-year-old pug named Rome. In the third place was a white-coated mixed-breed 14-year-old dog named Daisy Mae, who was rescued from the streets at age two and has lost her teeth, hair and vision. The World's Ugliest Dog contest has been held for nearly 50 years. It "celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique," per the website. "The contest speaks to the importance of advocating for the adoration of all animals and the benefits of adopting," it added. According to the website, the idea for the event came from Petaluma resident Ross Smith in 1971 as a way to generate fundraising revenue for the community's Old Adobe Association, and the Sonoma-Marin Fair has hosted the event since 1988. Many of the dogs entering the contest are rescued from shelters and puppy mills, making the event a great rehabilitation exercise for them.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
World's ugliest dog crowned — see why a ‘gentle soul' bulldog named Petunia was tops: ‘Unique beauty'
This dog is a little ruff around the edges. A hairless English-French bulldog mix was crowned as the winner of the 2025 'World's Ugliest Dog' contest. The 2-year-old pup named Petunia and her owner, Shannon Nyman, walked away with the top prize at the Sonoma County Fair event in Santa Rosa, California, on Aug. 8. Advertisement 5 Petunia celebrates winning first place in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest. AP Photo/Noah Berger Petunia won the $5,000 grand prize, beating out 10 other unconventional canines, including an 8-year-old Chinese Crested named Little Prince Wonder and a 13-year-old chihuahua named Nezumi. In addition to the cash prize, Petunia will also be featured on limited-edition cans of Mug Root Beer, one of the sponsors of the canine event, and will appear on the 'TODAY' show on Aug. 11, the New York Times reported. Advertisement 'I think she's feeling great,' Nyman said on TODAY. 'She loves all the attention, she loves all the affection, all the humans petting her.' 5 A 2-year-old pup named Petunia and her owner, Shannon Nyman, walked away with the top prize. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Petunia's personality is described as a 'gentle soul who adores other dogs, cats and people,' according to the Times. And her looks are described as '… a mix between Yoda, she's a mix between a hippo, a bat — she's got it all,' NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz said on TODAY. Advertisement The pooch was rescued from 'the chaos of a backyard breeder and order' in Las Vegas before being moved to Oregon by Luvable Dog Rescue. Once in Oregon, Petunia got the medical care she badly needed, including a spay and a surgery to correct an elongated palate, which makes breathing difficult and painful. Petunia sadly doesn't have any hair because of her original breeder's unethical practices. 5 Petunia and owner Shannon Nyman were awarded $5,000. AP Photo/Noah Berger Advertisement The World's Ugliest Dog Contest has been going on for nearly 50 years and 'celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique,' according to the event's website. 'The annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest is not about making fun of 'ugly' dogs, but having fun with some wonderful characters and showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful!' the site said. 5 Jinny Lu, a 5-year-old pug who was rescued from Korea, won second place and a spirit award. AP Photo/Noah Berger Many of the dogs entered in the contest have been rescued from shelters and puppy mills, the organizers said. 'The contest speaks to the importance of advocating for the adoration of all animals and the benefits of adopting.' In this competition, the unique features of some pups, such as wild fur, missing teeth, dangling tongues and wandering eyes are badges of honor to wear proudly. 5 Little Prince Wonder, an 8-year-old Chinese Crested, competed in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest. AP Photo/Noah Berger Advertisement In 2024, the top spot went to Wild Thang, an 8-year-old Pekingese with a dangling tongue, who had been competing for five years before running away with the crown. Wild Thang survived distemper as a puppy and his teeth didn't grow in properly, which caused his silly tongue — a feature he was known and loved for. One of his front legs also constantly paddles around.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
In Pictures: This year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest
The World's Ugliest Dog Contest took place this weekend at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa in California - and if you're anything like us here at Euronews Culture, the term 'ugly' may be pushing it a bit far for the four-legged cuties who strutted the red carpet. Still, as Serge Gainsbourg once said: 'Ugliness is in a way superior to beauty because it lasts'... A hairless French bulldog mix named Petunia made a lasting impact on this year's judges, as she walked away with the $5,000 (€4,280) prize. And plenty of bragging rights. Here are some of the highlights of this year's World's Ugliest Dog Contest: The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is an annual competition which has been held since the 1970s. This year's edition took place on 8 August 2025.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Photos of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest held in California
APTOPIX Ugly Dog Contest SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is held at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2025. — This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Hairless ‘gentle soul' Petunia claims World's Ugliest Dog Contest title
Washington: She does not stand in triumph. She does not strut. Instead, Petunia rides in someone's arms, her small, hairless body balanced against a loop of pink leash. Fairground trophies shine behind her, but she looks away, folds of skin settling like soft hills along her neck. Petunia, a two-year-old hairless English-French bulldog mix from Eugene, Oregon, arrived at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, California, not as a polished show dog but as herself. The World's Ugliest Dog Contest, a decades-old tradition meant to promote the adoption of dogs and remind people that 'pedigree does not define the pet', has never sought perfection. In this competition, the missing fur, the misaligned teeth, the eyes that wander in different directions – they are not flaws, but badges of honour. Petunia was one of 10 contestants that sought to join the reign of oddity champions from the past. In 2024, there was Wild Thang, remembered for a pink tongue forever lolling and glittering eyes set in a tiny head beneath a frizzed crown of brown-and-white fur. In 2023, there was Scooter, a glossy black jelly bean of a dog with a shock of mohawk-like hair. And in 2022, there was Mr Happy Face, a Chihuahua mix likened to a hyena, a mandrill baboon, or perhaps a gorilla in miniature.
