A competition to find Britain’s ‘ugliest’ dog has been forced to brutally dismiss dozens of applications because they were just ‘too cute’. As a result, organisers have had to issue an explanation of what it truly means to be an ‘ugly dog’.
The contest is led by photo company ParrotPrint.com, in a bid to discover a “butt ugly” dog that’s worthy enough to be deemed “one of the ugliest in the land”. But organisers have been overwhelmed by entrants that don’t fit the bill.
Since its launch earlier this month, the contest has been swamped with photos of adorable dogs. This has led organisers to share the current frontrunner. The head judge has even urged the nation to stop sending snaps of dogs similar to Ivy from Glasgow, branded far too attractive to be in with a shot at the title.
Adorable candidates like Ivy represent a whopping 90% of the contestants, a trend the team is eager to shift away from, reports the Mirror. ParrotPrint founder Matt Dahan emphasised the search is strictly for canines who are a sight for sore eyes – quite literally.
He said: “We love dogs and it’s great that so many owners are willing to put their beloved pets forward for our competition but we need to be clear, this is a contest to find the ugliest dog in Britain.
“We have had a strong response so far, but 90 per cent of entries have been cute dogs like wee Ivy from Glasgow who is clearly adorable but stands no chance of winning. While it’s great that so many people want to be involved, we need to ask people not to send in pictures unless they honestly consider their dog to be one of the ugliest in the land.
“We are looking for dogs who make your eyes hurt when you look at them and we think Muppet has the looks to challenge for the title. This definitely isn’t a competition for cute dogs or pretty pets. If you think your dog is butt ugly then we want to hear from you.”
The early frontrunner for this year’s crown is Muppet from Peterborough. ‘Ugliness’ must run in his DNA, as he’s the brother of 2012’s World’s Ugliest Dog. Being crowned an ‘ugly’ dog might be a title nobody really wants – but it can lead to some incredible opportunities.
Peggy, a previous winner of Britain’s ugliest dog with ParrotPrint, was given a starring role alongside Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool & Wolverine this summer.
Organisers are appealing for owners only to send in pictures if their dog could genuinely challenge Muppet for the title of the ugliest dog in Britain. Anyone wanting to enter should email [email protected] before October 31. A shortlist will be announced early in November, with the winner crowned in December.