Super fluffy 8-year-old Pekingese Wild Thang wins 2024 World's Ugliest Dog contest

Most of the dogs in the contest, which has been going on since the 1970s, are rescues. According to his biography on the fair's press site, Wild Thang contracted distemper from a rescue foster when he was young. "He survived, but not without permanent damage," his bio states. "His teeth did not grow in, causing his tongue to stay out and his right front leg paddles 24/7."

"This world-renowned event celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique," states the World's Ugliest Dog Contest 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!"

An elderly pug in a wheelchair named Rome came in second, winning $3,000; Daisy Mae, a mixed-breed dog with a white coat, took the $2,000 third place prize.

Last year, the contest was won by Scooter, an almost-bald, 7-year-old Chinese Crested dog, with reversed hind legs.