World's ugliest dog? Meet Wild Thang, the 8-year-old Pekingese who took the 2024 crown

The winner for the 2024 World's Ugliest Dog contest has been crowned. 

The contest, which judges multiple canines on their extracurricular activities and not so cute appearances, took place at the Sonoma Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, about 38 miles north of San Francisco.

After participating in the competition for five times Wild Thang, an eight-year-old Pekingese from North Bend, Oregon, took home the first-place trophy, the fair announced. 

During the competition, which was on Friday, June 21, each dog had the opportunity to win the hearts of voters and the sponsor of the contest, Mug Root Beer. 

The root beer company is a first-time sponsor of the event that offered a cash prize pool of $10,000 for the top three winners. The first-place winner will receive $5,000, second place $3,000 and third place $2,000. In addition, the winner also has the opportunity to be featured on a limited-edition can of root beer, the fair said. 

Here’s more on Wild Thang and the second and third place winners of the World's Ugliest Dogs contest.

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Winners of the 2024 World's Ugliest Dog contest

Wild Thang 

If you want to see a dog that is determined to thrive and survive, first-place winner Wild Thang would be the face of that. Born in Los Angeles, the canine is now retired with his family in Oregon.

When he was a puppy, Wild Thang contracted distemper from a rescue foster.  Unfortunately, another puppy did not survive, but he did. Although he has suffered permanent damage like his teeth not growing in properly or his right leg paddling 24/7, he has overcome these obstacles to become a happy and healthy dog.

Since recovering from this traumatic incident, Wild Thang has made it his initiative to be an advocate for getting pets vaccinated. Using his Instagram account he has posted his GoFundMe where he has tried to send resources to his fellow Pekingese that are in Ukraine. Seven dogs have been safely rescued from the country and have been adopted by families in Canada and the United States. 

Rome

When you hear the name Rome, you think of ancient, majestic and a place that people love to visit. This dog embodies that.

Rome, the second-place winner, is a 14-year-old pug that is from The Pug Hotel in Rohnert Park, California. This pug continues to steal the hearts of many people with his charm, personality and sweet dance moves. 

After being left at The Pug Hotel by his owner, Rome has gotten the care that he deserves and has become a prominent figure within his community. In 2023 the pug participated in the Wheeling Pug Relay that raises money for the purchase of wheelchairs for differently abled dogs. In addition, Rome often visits hospice patients and schools to educate children about the importance of adopting a senior rescue dog.

Daisy Mae 

This California girl is no stranger to soaking up the sun, chasing squirrels and annoying her older sister, Harriet. 

Third place winner Daisy Mae is a 14-year-old dog enjoying her life now but didn’t have it that easy at the beginning. At age two she experienced some rough times and over the years she has lost her hair, teeth and vision. It has been said she also survived a cat gang. Throughout her struggles the canine has defied the odds and has gained more confidence, new friends and ultimately a forever home. 

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.