In a contest usually dominated by the old and tiny, this year's prize went to Martha, a young and bulky mastiff. The annual World's Ugliest Dog competition in Petaluma in the US aims to raise awareness for dog adoption.
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World's Ugliest Dog Contest 2017
Youth and bulk has taken the crown after a Neapolitan Mastiff called Martha won this year's World's Ugliest Dog award. The annual prize in Petaluma, California, aims to raise awareness for dog adoption.
Image: Getty Images/J. Sullivan
Martha takes the crown
While older and smaller dogs have traditionally been the best performers, this year's World's Ugliest Dog prize went to a three-year-old, 125-pound (57-kilos) Neapolitan Mastiff named Martha. She was nearly blind from neglect when she was rescued in Sonoma County, California. It took several surgeries before she was able to see again.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Edelson
Moe takes the Spirit Award
The second-place prize, known as the Spirit Award, is presented to a dog and owner who have overcome hardships or provide a special service to their community. The oldest dog in the competition, Moe, a 16-year-old Brussels Griffon-pug mix from Santa Rosa, California, took the award. Moe has lost his hearing and sight but his sense of smell is said to still be impeccable.
Image: Getty Images/J. Sullivan
Chase travels from across the Atlantic to compete
Chase, a 14-year-old Chinese Crested-Harke mix from Neath in the United Kingdom, traveled further than any other contestent to compete in the World's Ugliest Dog competition. He came in third place.
Image: Getty Images/J. Sullivan
Raising money for charity
Good causes underline the World's Ugliest Dog awards. The competition itself aims to raise awareness for dog adoption. However, Icky, a regular contestant, has used his own distinguishing looks to help raise more than $10,000 (8,994 euros) for several AIDS-related charities. He was rescued from a hoarder in Butte County, California.
Image: Getty Images/J. Sullivan
Beauty is only skin deep
The panel doesn't just award points for their natural ugliness. Contestants are also judged on first impressions, unusual attributes, personality and audience reaction. Most dogs have been adopted from shelters and rescue homes. So, while they may not be admired much for their good looks, their owners maintain that it was love at first sight.
Image: Getty Images/J. Sullivan
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The World's Ugliest Dog Contest is usually headlined by tiny, hairless Chihuahuas and mutts. Therefore, consider this year's winner, a large Neapolitan Mastiff named Martha, an upset.
Martha, just three years old, stole the hearts and hurt the eyes of the crowd in northern California on Friday as she plopped down on her side and drooped her long face across the floor when she should have been performing for the panel of judges. So convinced were the judges that they didn't even wait to hear her signature snore to give her the award.
Martha's win sees her owner, Shirley Zindler, walk away with $1,500 (1,340 euros), a shiny trophy and a trip to New York for media appearances for her and her pooch.
When Kerry Sanders of American TV network NBC News, one of the three judges, asked Martha, "Do you know you just won the World's Ugliest Dog Contest?" Zindler responded for her: "I'd gloat, but I need a nap."
Angels with dirty faces
The award isn't based on just looks, or lack thereof. Contestants are also judged on first impressions, unusual attributes, personality and audience reaction.
And while each canine contestant had its own unsightly features, all of them had heartwarming stories, from neglect and abandonment to disabilities and surgeries.
Martha was rescued by the Dogwood Animal Rescue Project in Sonoma County in California after nearly falling blind from neglect. It took several surgeries before she was able to see again, Zindler said.
Second prize is always presented to a dog and their owner who have overcome particularly difficult obstacles or who provide a special service to their community. This year, the award went to the competition's oldest participant, Moe, a 16-year-old Brussels Griffon-pug mix that had lost its sense of sight and hearing but maintained a superb sense of smell.
The competition also aims to find a home for abandoned dogs through a series of events that include a fashion show and red carpet walk.