Jinny Lu, a 6-year-old pug from Ukiah, California, was named the 2026 World's Ugliest Dog on Aug. 14 at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, taking the title on her fourth attempt after placing second the year before. She competed against eight other dogs for the $5,000 top prize.
The annual contest, now in its 50th year, was created to celebrate dogs whose looks fall outside conventional beauty standards — crooked teeth, missing fur, wandering eyes — while promoting shelter adoption. Jinny Lu's own history traces to South Korea, where she was rescued from the dog meat trade before being brought to California through Pug Rescue of Korea and a senior-pug sanctuary called the Pug Hotel.
From shy rescue to therapy dog
Owner Michelle Grady, who runs the Pug Hotel sanctuary, adopted Jinny Lu four years ago. She said the dog — known for a long, permanently lolling tongue — was withdrawn at first and has since become an outgoing regular at schools and hospice facilities as a therapy animal.
She absolutely loves competition, meeting everyone, and everything the event stands for.
Michelle Grady, Jinny Lu's owner
Second place and $3,000 went to Pinky, a Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix; third place and $2,000 went to Otto, a Chihuahua mix, according to contest results. All three placers, like most contestants in the event's history, came from rescues or shelters rather than breeders.
The World's Ugliest Dog Contest has run most years since the 1970s, and past winners have gone on to book tours, sponsorships and, this year, a spot on limited-edition root beer cans. Organizers say the point was never really about ugliness so much as making the case that a dog's appeal has little to do with symmetry.