Every year The World's Ugliest Dog contest takes place in Petaluma, California. On June 21 dozens of dogs will compete to will the title of World's Ugliest Dog which earns the pooch and their owner, $1,500, a professional photo shoot and a catered dinner at a luxury hotel. CBS reported that between 25-30 dogs are expected to compete in the contest tomorrow including all sorts of breeds including boxer, terrier, Chinese Crested and Chihuaha to name a few.
Last year's winner was Mugly, a Chinese Crested who was an 8-year-old rescue dog from Britain and had previously been named England's ugliest dog, The Huffington Post reported.
"It started as a homegrown kind of contest -- very small and quirky," contest organizer Vicki DeArmon told TODAY.com. "But the whole thing has accelerated beyond anyone's wildest imaginings."
"When you go into a shelter and see a dog that may not normally be adopted, your heart calls to that dog," she added. "The contest is a humorous relief that makes the world a little lighter."
ABC reported that one of the judges in this years event is Jon Provost who played Timmy in the television show, Lassie. Radio personalities Boby Lacey and Sheri Lynch will host the contest.
"More than half the contestants are brand-new, and a lot of the time the winner is a new dog," Sonoma-Marin Fair spokeswoman DeArmon said to ABC. "This year there are more pugs than ever," DeArmon said.
The contest will be at the Dog Lover's Festival and start at 1 p.m. It will also include booths selling dog-friendly items which includes the World's Ugliest Dogs 25th Anniversary book that has photos of the dogs with profiles of them with their owners.
The competition will be at The Sonoma-Marin Fair and starts today at the Petaluma Fairgrounds and runs through Sunday.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
