MANILA, Philippines — An eight-year-old Pekingese named Wild Thang was announced the winner of the annual World's Ugliest Dog competition.
It's a particular achievement for Wild Thang having joined the competition five times and was runner-up thrice in a row, most recently last year behind a Chinese Crested named Scooter.
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Despite the title, the long-running competition promotes the adoption of dogs, highlight dogs that defy adversity, and celebrate imperfections.
For finally winning the competition, Wild Thang received $5,000 (P294,000) — over three times more than Scooter's winnings — courtesy of a root beer brand where the dog will feature on limited edition cans of, as well as a trip to New York City.
One of the judges pointed out that Wild Thang's repetitive runner-up finishes factored in giving him the title at last.
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The judge also said the dog with an extremely long, fluffy coat has "never had a haircut, likes to sleep on ice packs, and is just a sweet dog."
According to Wild Thang's owner Ann Lewis, the dog contracted distemper as a puppy from a rescue foster, which prevented his teeth from growing in, causes his tongue to stay out, and makes his right leg "paddle 24/7."
The runner-up and "People's Choice" recipient was a 14-year-old pug and first-time entrant name Rome who uses a wheelchair for his hind legs.
Rome was a member of a Wheeling Pug Relay team that raises money for differently-abled dogs to have wheelchairs of their own. These dogs visit individuals to teach about the value of adopting older rescue pets.
He received $3,000 (P176,000) while third placer Daisy Mae, a white mixed-breed dog, won $2,000 (P117,000).
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