How To Enter 'The World's Ugliest Dog Contest'

PETALUMA, CA — Things are about to get ugly, real ugly. But in a super cute way.

It's that time of year when a pageant of pups compete for the title of "The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest" during the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma. This year, the fair runs Wednesday-Sunday, June 21-25, with the "World's Ugliest Dog Contest" to take place at 6 p.m. Friday, June 23 on the Kiwanis Stage, 175 Fairgrounds Drive in Petaluma.

There is a lot at stake; on the Sunday following the contest, the winning dog and their human are flown to New York for a Monday morning appearance on NBC's "Today Show."

Here are some reminders and important points about the 2023 contest:

• All dogs will be entered into one large class, rather than being separated by pedigree or mutt.
• There is a Grand Prize of $1,500 for first place, as well as second-place and third-place cash awards and trophies.
• There is a special “Spirit Award” based in part on each dog’s biography that is submitted with their entry.
• There is a “People’s Choice” award, selected by visitors to the contest website who vote for their favorite pooch.
• The fair is charging a nominal entry fee of $10 per dog after May 19. Entries before May 19 were free. Dog parents receive full admission to the fair, and each dog receives a special gift for being a contestant.
• The closing date for all entries is Wednesday, June 21. This means all paperwork needs to be in the office by that date. This allows staff to better prepare the programming for the contest.
• There is no taking of “on the spot” entries on the day of the contest. All entries must be processed and the line-up determined, ahead of time.

To register, download and fill out the Rules and Regulations Sheet and Entry Form below, then scan and email the forms along with a picture of your dog, proof of rabies vaccination, and biography to: entryoffice@sonoma-marinfair.org.

Regardless of the entry method, the fair requests a high-quality digital (.jpg) photo of each dog to include on the fair website and for the "People's Choice" award voting.

The fair will send participants the contest details as opening day gets closer. Call 707-283-3247 or send an email to entryoffice@sonoma-marinfair.org with any questions.

Have more questions? Go to Sonoma-MarinFair.org/worlds-ugliest-dog/.