PHILADELPHIA — Vito the pug has been crowned best in show at the 92nd annual National Dog Show – the first time a pug has won the title in at least two decades.
A 2½-year-old pug with sympathetic eyes and a muscly stature, Vito bested about 2,000 other canines to take the title at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center for this year’s show.
Vito has racked up 25 best-in-shows over his short career, his co-owner Carolyn Koch, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, said, adding that she was “so proud” of the pug.
Vito beat a Welsh terrier, a giant schnauzer, a Clumber spaniel, a Lhasa apso, a Berger Picard and an Ibizan hound to earn the top spot. Second place went to the Welsh terrier, named Verde.
Any American Kennel Club-registered dog can enter the show. Judges assess the competitors based on their appearance, temperament and structure, with a focus on how well they conform to the expectations of their breed.
The owners of the winning animal take home a $2,000 prize.
Last year’s winner was a cream-colored Sealyham terrier called Stache.
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