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PETALUMA, Calif. — There's nothing ugly about being persistent.
One dog owner was persistent for years in saying her Pekingese, aptly named Wild Thang, was the ugliest dog in the world. On June 21, after five years of ugly losses, the title became official for the ill-favored Pekingese at the World's Ugliest Dog competition at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California.
The dog's homely appearance is not genetic, like it is for many of us. Early in life, Wild Thang was afflicted with the contagious canine distemper virus, according to the New York Times.
The result of the disease prevented his teeth from growing in, causing his tongue to forever hang out in a prize-winning way.
The reward for being the best of the grotesque is a $5,000 check and an appearance on NBC's "Today" show.
The best part of winning for his vexatious visage is a limited appearance on cans of Mug Root Beer, a sponsor of the competition.
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