Fact! Did you know that every year a “World’s Ugliest Dog Competition” is hosted at Sonoma-Marin Fair in California?

Although, the idea behind this contest is to promote the adoption/rescue of dogs and recognize “inner beauty,” our thoughts on this are contrasting. The idea behind this contest is encouraging people to rescue dogs that might get overlooked because of their appearance, but this can be done without celebrating their "undesirable features”. There indeed are better ways of celebrating your pooch’s beauty than participating in a pageant that titles them as “Ugly.”

And by accepting this title, the concept loses its meaning as people are indirectly agreeing that their dog has “physically unattractive” qualities and is in turn- not beautiful.

It's true that the heart-warming rescue stories of the majority of this contest’s winners are inspiring. For instance, Mr. Happy Face (The winner of 2022) had an abusive history and health issues and was given like a month to live before he was adopted by a woman named Benally. She whole-heartedly accepted him and her constant love and care healed him out the misery. Such acts of empathy deserve all the recognition in this world and there should be other means of honoring them!

While the pet parents are grateful for this acknowledgment, the question that arises here is- would such a pageant be celebrated if it were for a human? There’s a low chance of people being cheery upon being recognized as “World’s Most Ugly Human.” Tell us if you agree.