Hailing from Anoka, Minn., the 9-year-old dog beat out 13 other pups to take home the coveted ugly dog title.
“It was a very difficult decision, we loved all of the dogs,” NBC news correspondent and contest judge Jo Ling Kent said in a statement. “It was a huge responsibility, and we are just so happy for Zsa Zsa.”
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Zsa Zsa won the judges’ hearts with her swagger, slobber…and sneezing.
“She was eating part of a Slim Jim on the table and just sneezed all over them and was drooling on them,” Zsa Zsa’s owner Megan Brainard said in a New York Times interview.
The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, running for 30 years, promotes rescue dogs and adoption and “celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique.”
Brainard thought she would be perfect for the competition and thought she had a good chance of winning.
“She is a very aloof, sweet dog,” Brainard tells This Dog’s Life. “She always wants to put her tongue in your face or hold your hand.”
Image Credit: Megan Brainard
Rescued from a puppy mill breeder after spending five years producing puppies, Bernard wanted the world to see Zsa Zsa’s true beauty. The family drove 30 hours from Minnesota to California to compete. Besides her super long tongue and big under bite, Bernard added a sparkly collar and pink nail polish to give Zsa Zsa an extra boost of confidence.
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Not only did Zsa Zsa get a huge trophy, but she also appeared on the Today Show, picked up $1,500 and a matching donation to the organization that saved her, Underdog Rescue.
She stole the crown from last year’s winner, a Neapolitan mastiff with lots and lots of extra skin.
“Even though I knew she could win, I still was shocked and speechless,” says Brainard of Zsa Zsa’s new title.
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