World's Ugliest Dog Is New Face Of MUG Root Beer: Photos Of The Week

PETALUMA, CA — It's Wild Thang's time to make hearts sing.

As promised, MUG Root Beer crowned the 8-year-old Pekingese pup, winner of the annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest, the brand's new face. Its current mascot, Dog, is happily giving up his spot on 1,000 cans of root beer, which will now feature Wild Thang’s very own mug.

MUG® Root Beer is a new sponsor of the contest, which took place June 21 at the Sonoma -Marin Fair in Petaluma. The company further enhanced the competition by offering a total prize pool of $10,000 to the top three winners.

First-place winner Wild Thang received $5,000 of the prize money, second-place winner Rome the pug received $3,000, and third-place winner Daisy Mae the mixed breed won $2,000.

MUG will release the limited-edition soda cans by mid-July on social media; fans can enter to win one via @mugrootbeer on Instagram and Tik Tok.

"The World's Ugliest Dog contest continues to celebrate the beauty of individuality and the unbreakable spirit of these remarkable canines," MUG Root Beer said. "These dogs remind us that true beauty is not defined by conventional standards but rather by the love, joy, and resilience they bring into our lives. "

Read more about the top three finishers in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.