CALIFORNIA, United States (Reuters) — The winner of the 2017 annual Ugliest Dog Contest in Petaluma, California, was a far cry from its previous predecessors.
Martha, a three-year-old 125-pound (57-kilo) black Neapolitan Mastiff, won the judge’s hearts on Friday (June 23) with her drooping face, out-competing over a dozen fellow contestants including the mostly hairless Chinese Crested breed that normally dominates the annual contest.
The Mastiff wins a $1,500 prize, a trophy and a trip to New York to make media appearances.
The popular annual competition celebrates dogs that “may not earn a Best of Show, but are lovable and adoptable anyway”, according the organizer’s website.