The results of the 50th annual World's Ugliest Dog Contest have been announced in the United States. The winner was a six-year-old female pug named Ginny Lou from Ukiah, California. The ceremony took place on August 14 at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Santa Rosa, Euronews reports.

Along with the title, the dog's owner, Michelle Grady, received a 5 thousand USD cash prize. Second place went to Pinky, an albino Spitz-Chihuahua mix (3 thousand USD), and third place to Otto, a Chihuahua mix (2 thousand USD).

According to the organizers, Ginny Lou was rescued in the mountains of South Korea and ended up at the Pug Rescue shelter four years ago, where her current owner adopted her. The dog is regularly taken along to meet children at primary schools; there, alongside other rescued pugs, she participates in events that teach children about the benefits of adopting animals from shelters. In addition, Ginny Lou visits patients in hospices and facilities for the elderly.

The contest has been held annually since the 1970s and aims to draw attention to the idea of adopting shelter dogs rather than buying purebred puppies. Nine dogs participated this year, including a 12-year-old Chinese Crested named Clara, who was brought in specifically from Poland.