This is Petunia - the "ugliest dog in the world"

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• The bulldog mix Petunia won the title of "World's Ugliest Dog" in Santa Rosa (California).
• Owner Shannon Nyman received 5000 dollars in prize money.
• The competition aims to draw attention to the beauty and kindness of shelter dogs and has been held annually since the 1970s.

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Short stubby legs, beady eyes and a wrinkled face: these unflattering attributes helped Petunia to win. The bulldog mix was crowned the "World's Ugliest Dog" in Northern California.

The two-year-old four-legged friend won the traditional competition, which has been held since the 1970s, on Friday evening (local time) in Santa Rosa. Owner Shannon Nyman from the US state of Oregon was beaming as she accepted the prize money of 5000 dollars (around 4040 Swiss francs).

Jinny Lu, a five-year-old pug with a crooked tongue, took second place. He had already taken part in the competition in 2023, but came away empty-handed back then. Owner Michelle Grady could now look forward to prize money of 3,000 dollars.

Poppy, a 7-year-old Chinese crested dog with lots of bare skin and a few tufts of white hair, came third. His performance was rewarded with 2000 dollars.

To secure a place on the podium, the four-legged friends had to present themselves on a stage in front of clapping spectators. A group of judges then voted, with appearance, personality and audience reaction all factored into their decision.

Winning performance on the morning show

Petunia now has one more appearance to look forward to. In addition to the winner's prize, the dog and owner will also receive a flight to New York, where the champion will be presented on the NBC morning show on Monday.

Last year, this honor went to a Pekingese named Wild Thang. The then eight-year-old scored points with his stormy hairstyle and tongue hanging out the side. According to his owner, he had contracted the distemper virus as a puppy and was left with physical deformities.

The organizers explained that the aim of the competition was not to make fun of the "ugly" dogs, but rather to highlight their lovable and beautiful sides. Many of the participants come from animal shelters. The campaign also calls for abandoned animals to be given a new home.

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