Santa Rosa, CA — The results are in for the highly anticipated 2025 World’s Ugliest Dog® Contest, hosted by the Sonoma-Marin Agricultural Association, and the winner is Petunia —a two-year-old hairless French Bulldog–English Bulldog mix from Eugene, Oregon. Once a staple of the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, the contest moved this year to the final Friday of the 10-day Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, following the Sonoma-Marin Agricultural Association’s transition after 85 years in Petaluma. The move marks a new chapter for the beloved event, without losing any of its signature charm.
“We are DOGON happy to partner with the Sonoma-Marin Ag Association for this fun event,” said Sonoma County Fair CEO Matt Daly.
This year’s competition featured 10 remarkable canine contestants, each with their own unique story. Petunia, rescued from a backyard breeder/hoarder situation in Las Vegas by Luvable Dog Rescue, is described as a gentle soul who adores other dogs, cats, and people. Her favorite pastimes include snuggling and taking trail walks in the Oregon woods. After receiving essential medical care, including spay and BOAS surgeries to correct an elongated palate common in poorly bred bully breeds, Petunia is now thriving and breathing easy.
For the second year in a row, MUG® Root Beer sponsored the World’s Ugliest Dog® Contest, helping raise the stakes with a total prize pool of $10,000. This year’s awards include $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second, and $2,000 for third place. Petunia will also be immortalized on limited-edition cans of MUG Root Beer. “This is one of my favorite events of the year! I am so pleased that we have such amazing partners to work with,” said Sonoma-Marin Agricultural Association CEO Mandy Clendenen. “Thanks to both MUG and the Sonoma County Fair, we can keep this fantastic tradition alive.” Petunia’s story will reach a national audience when she appears on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, August 11th. Limited-edition MUG Root Beer cans featuring Petunia, along with additional merchandise celebrating the contestants, will be available via the MUG TikTok store. All proceeds will benefit Dogwood Animal Rescue in Santa Rosa, CA, supporting their mission to help dogs in need.