Here’s The Winner Of The 29th Annual “World’s Ugliest Dog” Competition

Published June 26, 2017

The 125-pound Mastiff earned the title this past weekend.

Ugliest Dog Champion

Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesA Neapolitan Mastiff named Martha sits next to a trophy after after winning the 2017 World’s Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on June 23, 2017 in Petaluma, California. Martha, a Neapolitan Mastiff, became the World’s Ugliest Dog during the Sonoma-Marin Fair.

This year’s World’s Ugliest Dog Competition has just taken place, and the winner — a three-year-old Mastiff named Martha — is simply not that hideous.

With disturbingly bloodshot eyes and flappy, slobber-oozing, whisker-pocked cheeks drooping almost past her knobby knees, Martha is definitely no Boo (the Internet’s most adorable creature).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_Mmfv33LlU

Still, when you see her floppy face spread across the floor, it’s hard to deny that this giant creature is kind of adorable.

And yet, she took home the gold at the 29th annual competition held on Friday at California’s Sonoma-Marin Fair — beating 13 other ugly canines for the $1,500, a media trip to New York and dog park bragging rights.

Her victory could be contributed to her lumbering personality or her couldn’t-care-less demeanor.

Martha clearly didn’t care about the award, “often plopping down on her side on stage with her droopy face spread across the ground when she was supposed to be showing off,” the Associated Press (AP) reports.

At 125 pounds, Martha, like many of the world’s most inspiring celebrities, overcame a traumatic youth before rising to fame.

Ugliest Dog Martha

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty ImagesTOPSHOT – Martha shakes water off her head after winning this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog Competition. The winner of the competition is awarded $1500, a trophy, and is flown to New York for media appearances.

The Sebastopol, California, native was “nearly blind from neglect” when she was rescued by the Dogwood Animal Rescue Project, the AP wrote. After several surgeries and a lot of love, she can now see again.

We get it: who doesn’t love an underdog story?

But where Martha falls into the “so ugly it’s cute” category, her competitors are just plain ugly:

Ugly Dog Donald Trump
Ugly Ugly Dog
Ugly Dog Diapers
Ugliest Dog Peanut
Here’s The Winner Of The 29th Annual “World’s Ugliest Dog” Competition
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Next, read about the police dog who was fired for being too nice, and then given a fancy new job title. Then, learn about the bone-sniffing dogs currently looking for Amelia Earhart.

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All That's Interesting
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Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
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Savannah Cox
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Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.