EXCLUSIVE: Handler of World’s Ugliest Dog Contest Winner Shares How Petunia Is Feeling After Her Victory

The 2025 winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest has bloomed into an adorably quirky champion after being rescued from living in a crate in a neglected situation.

It’s only fitting her name is Petunia.

The 2-year-old hairless French bulldog mix appeared live on TODAY alongside handler Shannon Nyman on Aug. 11. She basked in her victory, three days after winning $5,000, a spot on limited-edition cans from sponsor Mug Root Beer and the coveted bragging rights for being selected as the World’s Ugliest Dog.

“I think she’s feeling great,” Nyman said on TODAY. “She loves all the attention, she loves all the affection, all the humans petting her.”

Petunia beat out nine other dogs at this year’s contest on Aug. 8 at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, California. A panel of four judges, including NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz, scrutinized the dogs based on looks, stage presence, backstory and how well they graced the red carpet.

“She’s a mix between Yoda, she’s a mix between a hippo, a bat — she’s got it all,” Schwartz said on TODAY.

“She’s a total creature,” Nyman told Schwartz about Petunia during the contest.

The contest, which has been celebrating imperfection for nearly 50 years, advocates for adopting dogs instead of buying them from breeders. Petunia and many of the other contestants are rescue dogs from shelters and puppy mills.

Petunia is cared for by the Luvable Dog Rescue in Eugene, Oregon, where Nyman is a volunteer.

“Even a wonky dog deserves to be loved,” Nyman said. “And that’s what we prefer to call them: not ugly, wonky.”

Petunia was rescued from a backyard breeder situation in Las Vegas where the owner was hoarding more than 50 dogs that were living in crates, according to Nyman. Petunia is hairless because of the unethical breeding practices she endured before she was rescued.

“Most of these bully breeds are being irresponsibly bred, unethically bred, so they have what’s called BOAS — brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome — so they need to get their soft palate reduced in order for them to breathe and function well,” Nyman said.

Petunia had BOAS after spending the first two years of her life in a crate. Rescued in May, she was given surgery to fix her breathing and is now happy and healthy.

She now gets daily coconut oil treatments after initially having a reddish hue that had the volunteers at Luvable Dog Rescue dubbing her Pinky Petunia. After basking in her victory, she will now be getting back to normal life.

“We’re going to go back home to Oregon. She’s going to go back to her friends, probably go for a long walk in the woods,” Nyman said.

Nyman added that the rescue is going to launch Wonky Dog, a for-profit LLC of animal philanthropists raising money for rescue dogs.

Wonky Dogs, Inc., will sell merchandise and partner with brands to donate to animal welfare organizations, according to Liesl Wilhardt, the founder and executive director of Luvable Dog Rescue.

Petunia will serve an an animal philanthropist to help raise money for other rescue dogs like herself.