Mr. Happy Face crowned ‘World’s Ugliest Dog’
(CNN) - Mr. Happy Face, a 17-year-old rescue with a crooked head and a mohawk, is the winner of this year’s Ugliest Dog Contest.
Owner Jeneda Benally calls her dog, Mr. Happy Face, “magnificent,” but he took home the title in the return of Sonoma County, California’s Ugliest Dog Contest, after a two-year pandemic break.
Benally says the most common question she gets from people who see her dog is “What is he?”
“He kind of looks like Yoda,” she said. “This is not the full length of his tongue, I should forewarn you. I think it might be longer than Gene Simmons’ tongue.”
Benally rescued Mr. Happy Face from a shelter, where she asked to see “unadoptable” dogs. The hairless Chinese Crested-Chihuahua mix came from a hoarding situation and was 17 years old.
At first, he couldn’t even tolerate human touch, but now, he and Benally have bonded.
“He started kissing my feet and ankles, and what woman doesn’t want any creature to kiss their feet and ankles?” Benally said.
After his win, Mr. Happy Face is taking a victory lap, showing up on morning TV and enjoying a treat of pureed chicken baby food while waiting for a cab in New York City.
“His skin is so humanlike that he does smell a little bit under the armpits. Am I giving too much information away?” Benally said.
She hopes Mr. Happy Face will inspire others to adopt older pets.
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