World's Ugliest Dog 2022: The unique-looking pooches that took part
- Published
The winner of the 2022 World's Ugliest Dog contest is Mr. Happy Face, a 17-year-old Chinese Crested dog - which is a hairless breed of dog.
Mr Happy Face was adopted from a shelter by owner Jeneda Benally. He had been rescued from bad conditions, but is now happy and in a loving home. According to his owner, Mr Happy Face's hobbies include: "sleeping, snoring, woofing in his sleep and making odd sounds when he is happy."
The dogs are judged on their first impressions, how the audience react to them and their unusual appearances. This dog, called Wild Thang, made quite an impression on the judges when it took to the stage.
The organisers say the event celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique. Wild Thang, who came second in the contest, has competed twice before.
Jinny Lu - a Korean Pug - waits her turn to go before the judges. Like most of the competitors Jinny Lu is a rescue dog. One of the competition's aims is to raise awareness and support for the pets yet to be placed in a loving home.
According to the description on the competition's website Morita is a Mexican hairless, though unusually has the hair of an Afghan Hound! She won the Spirit Award. Morita was rescued from the streets of Mexico and is now in a special shelter for dogs. The organisers hope she will be adopted soon.