A fictional owner has welcomed an ugliest-dog prize as the first beauty assessment in years to arrive without a recommendation to purchase something.
The judging panel admired the pug's commitment to the face it already had. There was no suggestion that it might benefit from better lighting, a more flattering angle or a subtle intervention before the awards season.
A lifestyle photographer offered a complimentary portrait session. The dog immediately sat beneath the chair, producing what the photographer called a difficult brief and the owner called its usual location.
The prize has generated interest from a fictional dating-app consultant, who believes human users could learn from the dog's refusal to present an idealised version of itself. His proposed workshop includes looking directly at a camera without pretending the photograph happened accidentally while hiking.
The owner declined to enter a matching human competition. She said she was pleased with the existing arrangement, under which the dog regards her appearance as irrelevant provided she can operate a tin.
Plans for a victory tour have been scaled back because the winner prefers short walks and somewhere warm afterwards. Sponsors have been informed that visibility will depend on whether the winner feels like getting up.
For the first time in his life, the dog has official recognition for doing precisely what he was doing anyway. The owner hopes eventually to obtain something similar at work.
