About
The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is an annual contest at the Sonoma-Marin County Fair where dogs compete for the titular crown. The contest, which has been running since the 1970s, has caused several unconventional-looking dogs to become famous. Each winner receives a $1000 prize and a trophy.[2]
History
The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest has been running annually in the fourth week of June since the 1970s, and as part of the Sonoma-Marin County Fair in California since 1988.[2] The contest attracts entrants from around the world, and for several years the contest was sponsored by and aired on the television channel Animal Planet.[6] The contest is also used to promote shelter adoption for dogs, as many of the winners have been adopted from shelters or puppy mills.
The contest has been featured in a book, called World’s Ugliest Dogs: The Official World’s Ugliest Dog Contest Book and in an hour-long documentary called Worst in Show.[3][4]
Online Presence
The contest began to have a noted online presence when online voting began in the early 2000s, via the Sonoma-Marin County Fair web site.[1] However, the online voting has no bearing on who wins the contest, which is decided by a rotating cast of judges.
In 2005, the contest reached widespread audiences after the third win of a hairless Chinese Crested named Sam. Sam’s ugliness was so profound that he became an international star, including a role on television as a cat on Criss Angel’s Halloween special Mindfreak.[5] Sam is often considered to be the mascot of the /co/ board on 4chan. Sam died in 2005 at the age of 15.
After Sam’s fame, the contest retained an annual notoriety, with the winner being announced and publicized every year in late June.
Notable Developments
Winners
2000 and 2001Nana, a dog of unknown breed.
| 2002Rascal, a Chinese Crested
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2003-2005Sam, a Chinese Crested
| 2006Archie, a Chinese Crested
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2007Elwood, a Chihuahua-Chinese Crested mix
| 2008Gus, a Chinese Crested
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2009Pabst, a Boxer mix
| 2010Princess Abby, a Chihuahua
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2011Yoda, a Chihuahua-Chinese Crested mix
| 2012Mugly, a Chinese Crested
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2013Walle, a Beagle-Basset-Boxer mix
| 2014Peanut, a Chihuahua-Shih Tzu mix
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2015Quasi Modo, a hunchbacked pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix
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