A four-year-old Beagle–Basset–Boxer mix named Walle was named the World’s Ugliest Dog at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif., on Friday night. The pooch defeated 29 other canine competitors for the top prize, which has now been awarded for a quarter of a century to the dog with the most unfortunate physical characteristics.
Walle, of Chico, is described as having a “huge head, short thick stature, which includes a hump back, and duck waddle,” according to a press release that was issued after the event.
“This dog looked like he’s been Photoshopped with pieces from various dogs and maybe a few other animals,” Judge Brian Sobel said of Wallie.
Walle wins $1,500, a trophy, and he will make the rounds on well-known talk shows, such as Weekend Today on Sunday, June 23, the Today Show on Monday, June 24, and Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, June 26.
Walle’s victory is something of an upset in a contest that is typically won by Chinese Cresteds, Chihuahuas, and mixes of those dog breeds. This year also saw those dog types, along with Boxers, Terriers, Pugs, Poodles, and Peruvians – to name a few.
Walle’s owner, Tammie Barbee, got the dog when he was three months old. “People come up to me and say that dog is not right,” she says of her prized pooch, “but I love him.”
The World’s Ugliest Dog in 2012 was a Chinese Crested dog named Mugly.
