She came second last year. She tried four times total. And on August 14, 2026, at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California, Jinny Lu finally got her crown.
The 6-year-old pug from Ukiah, California, has been named the winner of the 2026 World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, beating out eight other competitors from across the country and as far away as Poland to take home the title. The prize: $5,000, a shiny new trophy, and her face on limited-edition Mug Root Beer cans.
From a Shack in South Korea to the Sonoma County Fair
Jinny Lu’s backstory is something else entirely. She was found in a shack in the mountains of South Korea, rescued from the dog meat trade before being brought to California through a joint effort by Pug Rescue of Korea in Long Beach and Pug Hotel, Senior Pug Sanctuary in Rohnert Park. Her owner, Michelle Grady, adopted her four years ago.
“She absolutely loves competition, meeting everyone, and everything the event stands for,” Grady said in a statement after the win.
That personality didn’t always come so easily. According to those who know her, Jinny Lu was a shy dog when she first arrived. Rescue and stability brought out a different side of her. These days, she visits elementary schools with other rescue pugs to teach kids about the importance of adopting pets, and she’s a regular at hospice facilities and memory care centres, bringing some much-needed company to patients who don’t get many visitors.
She also, for the record, loves purses and mirrors. Grady described her on the TODAY show as “calm and cuddly” but always looking for something to get into.
The Contest and the Competition
The World’s Ugliest Dog Contest, now in its 50th year, is one of those events that sounds like a joke until you understand what it’s actually for. Organisers are upfront about it: the competition isn’t really about finding the ugliest dog. It’s a platform for promoting rescue and adoption, and a celebration of the idea that every dog, regardless of what it looks like, deserves a home and someone to love it.
“For 50 years, this event has celebrated the uniqueness of every dog while sharing an important message of compassion, rescue, and acceptance,” said Mandy Clendenen, CEO of the Sonoma-Marin Agricultural Association.
Jinny Lu won over a judging panel that included NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz, California state senator Mike McGuire, and veteran broadcaster Debbie Abrams. An albino Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix named Pinky came in second place, earning her owner Laura Brown $3,000. A Chihuahua mix named Otto placed third.
Jinny Lu’s signature look, big bulging eyes and a tongue that hangs perpetually low, clearly made an impression. She had placed second at the 2025 contest, when a hairless Frenchie and English Bulldog mix named Petunia took the title after being rescued from a backyard breeder.
Life After the Win
The crown has moved fast. Grady and Jinny Lu were flown out to New York City just days after the win, where they appeared on the TODAY show decked out in pearls. Grady ordered a special pearl necklace with Jinny Lu’s name on it to mark the occasion. They also caught a Broadway show while in the city, which feels like a fitting detail for a dog who has been described as a “constant source of mischief and joy.”
Grady mentioned that Jinny Lu was recognised by a few people on the streets of New York, which, for a dog who started life in a shack in the mountains of South Korea, is not a bad arc at all.