Dogs! In the News!

World’s Ugliest Dog

I don’t think they’re ugly at all. But the judges at the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest at the Marin-Sonoma Fair last week had a different idea. Behold Martha! A two-year-old, 125-pound Neapolitan Mastiff, who in my opinion is so ugly, she’s beautiful.

The New York Times reports that Jessica Burkard adopted Martha to be a companion to her Saint Bernard, Blue. Burkard promised Martha’s rescue organization “that she could offer Martha 11 acres at her family’s home, where Martha could befriend Blue, explore the banks of a lake and rest underneath apricot and cherry trees.” The Times continues:

For the competition on Friday, Martha slowly climbed onto the stage, plopped down and napped. She snored while the crowd cheered, and the judges named her the World’s Ugliest Dog. “Does Martha know she’s that ugly?” an announcer said. “No … Martha thinks she’s beautiful. We tell her every day.”

For an inside look behind the scenes at the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest read this story from Business Insider.

There’s a New Mayor in Town

Brynneth Pawltro defeated a chicken, a donkey, and a little boy to become mayor of Rabbit Hash, KY. You know what makes that sentence even more remarkable? Brynneth is three-year-old Pitt Bull.

Dogs in the News — Her Honor, Mayor Brynneth Pawltro

The New York Post reports:

Brynneth is actually the fourth dog to be elected mayor of the town, which is so small it doesn’t even need a real mayor. The elections started in the late 1990s as a fundraiser, [owner] Bamforth told a [a local TV station.] Each voter is charged a dollar and allowed to vote as often as they would like.

According to the residents of Rabbit Hash, the Honorable Mayor Pawltro is working on her agenda for the next four years.

More Political News: Pence gets a Pup

Vice President Pence got the best gift ever for Father’s Day: a new puppy! The newest resident of the Naval Observatory is Harley.

President Trump is still dog-less. He is the first president to serve in the White House in nearly 130 years who does not have a dog.

Solving the Mystery of Amelia Earhart

The 80-year-old search for the lost aviator Amelia Earhart may finally be coming to an end. Researchers are using a team of bone sniffing dogs to look for her remains. The New York Post reports:

A pack of four border collies has been enlisted to search Nikumaroro, part of the Phoenix Islands and where researchers with the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery believe Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan may have landed.

“No other technology is more sophisticated than the dogs,” said Fred Hiebert, archaeologist in residence at the National Geographic Society, which is sponsoring the canines. “They have a higher rate of success identifying things than ground-penetrating radar.”

If bones are found they’ll be sent to the United States for DNA analysis.

Dog Photographer of the Year Award

The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom announced the winners of its international Dog Photographer of the Year Award. Scroll down to see a few of the winners.