California: Dogs are cute and very loyal pets. In fact, a dog is a man’s best friend and there is hardly any doubt about it.

While some can be quite aggressive, their owners or masters still would term them cute.

However, this turns out to be different for a dog from Arizona in the United States.

During the Sonoma-Marin Fair in California, a 17-year-old Chihuahua mix from Arizona was named the “World’s Ugliest Dog”. 

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The Sonoma-Marin Fair has been going on for nearly 50 years but the contest was held after a gap of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The title for the World’s Ugliest Dog went to Mr Happy Face, the 17-year-old Chihuahua mix.

The little fellow has tumours and neurological issues. He requires a diaper and struggles to stand upright or walk and has a tilted head.

The website of the event stated that Mr Happy Face once lived in abusive and neglectful conditions. Despite this, the dog has turned 17.

The description of the event further added, “Mr Happy Face sports a natural Mohawk and makes a sound “like a Dodge Ram diesel truck” revving its engine when happy.”

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The website of the event quoting Mr Happy Face’s owner, Jeneda Benelly said, “When I arrived at the shelter, I asked to see a particular dog that, fortunately for me, had just been adopted. I asked if there were any other dogs that were similar to that one. There was in fact, another dog there who was much older and had health issues and I was warned could be inbred because he was so ugly. The shelter staff tried to prepare me for what I was about to see.”

She added, “I saw a creature who was indeed old, needed a second chance and deserved to be loved.” 

It needs to be mentioned that the annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is not about making fun of “ugly” dogs, but about having fun with some wonderful characters and showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful. The event also advocates the adoption of such animals which are usually neglected.