A hairless, bat-eared bulldog has been crowned the ‘World’s Ugliest Dog’ for 2025.
Petunia took home the top prize – and a £3,600 cheque – at the contest.
She beat out dozens of other “perfectly imperfect” pups.
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Her handler, Lisel Wilhardt, said the only ugly thing about her is “what she’s been through”.
“Petunia is beautiful,” the founder of Eugene’s Luvable Dog Rescue told What’s The Jam.
“The only ugly thing are the unethical breeders who neglected Petunia before she was rescued.
“Petunia’s unusual look is the result of [these] practices.
“Her journey to the winner’s podium has been anything but easy.
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“She’s the sweetest, most joyful dog,”
Petunia, from Oregon, US, was one of over 50 bulldogs rescued from a Las Vegas breeder earlier this year.
She was sent to the rescue centre’s 55-acre shelter in May.
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Until then, she had never worn a collar or been on a walk – and lived in a crate stacked on top of others.
At first, Petunia was too afraid to go outside.
Lisel said: “It was like she had no experience of the world.
“So we had to start with the absolute basics.”
She has hairless skin, an extremely short snout and chronic skin issues.
In July, surgery was carried out to fix her brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, a condition common in flat-faced breeds, which is worsened by irresponsible breeding practices.
Twice a day, she’s lathered in suncream and gets nightly coconut oil massages.
Despite her health challenges, Petunia quickly charmed her way into the spotlight – winning over four judges at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in California on 8 August.
And on the next day, scooped the famed title.
Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions to the win.
One person said: “Do they mean worlds most precious?? I see no flaws here!”
Someone else added: “Absolute queen!!!!!!”
“She’s not ugly, she’s so beautiful,” another user said.
“Definitely not the ugliest dog, but maybe one with a ton of health issues,” someone else commented.
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