A new batch of unlovely pooches is coming to Petaluma this week as the Sonoma-Marin Fair brings with it one of the best-known competitions around: the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest.
The fair opens Thursday, June 20, at the Petaluma Fairgrounds, with the contest starting Friday at 6 p.m. on the Kiwanis Stage.
A total of eight dogs are listed to compete in this year’s event, many with wags-to-riches stories to share. For example, Twiggy, a 15-year-old Chihuahua mix, was found wandering the streets of Napa one day before being taken to Pets Lifeline in Sonoma. According to her bio, Twiggy was badly malnourished upon her arrival to Pets Lifeline, with a damaged coat and eye problems, but today she’s good as new and loving life with her new owners.
The seven other dogs listed as competing in the contest, with their crooked grins and patchy coats, are: Cadence ll, a Chihuahua; Daisy Mae, a Chihuahua; Freddie Mercury, a Brussels-Griffon/pug mix; Mochi, a Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix; Poppy, a Chinese crested/gremlin mix; Rome; a pug; and Ziggy Devito, a Chinese crested mix.
A five-judge panel will crown this year’s ugliest dog, which comes with a trophy and $1,500 cash prize. The panel is composed of various luminaries including local TV personalities Brian Sobel and Amy Gutierrez, both Petaluma residents.
The quirky and world-famous event has headlined the Sonoma-Marin Fair for nearly half a century, and “celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique,” according to the fair’s website.
That message alludes to the contest’s other purpose – besides unconventional beauty pageant – which is to raise awareness of pet rescue and adoption. For example, last year’s winner, Scooter, faced euthanasia before a volunteer from Saving Animals from Euthanasia (SAFE) stepped in to provide support.
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