Less than a month into her reign as the “World’s Ugliest Dog,” Zsa Zsa the Bulldog has sadly passed away at 9 years old.
"I'm sad to share that Zsa Zsa passed away in her sleep last night," her adopter, Megan Brainard, said on Facebook.
With her drooping tongue, pronounced underbite and bowed legs, Zsa Zsa handily won the crown at the World’s Ugliest Dog contest in Petaluma, California on June 23. More than just a “beauty” pageant, the contest promotes the rescue and adoption of dogs like Zsa Zsa.
Before her star turn on the runway, Zsa Zsa spent five years in a Missouri puppy mill. After her breeding days were over, she was put up for auction and purchased by Underdog Rescue. Brainard and her family were immediately smitten. “From the moment we saw her beautiful face, we knew we would be her forever home,” she said after Zsa Zsa’a win.
Bulldogs are infamous for deformities and health problems associated with inbreeding. A 2016 study on the DNA of 102 Bulldogs in the United States concluded that it would be almost impossible to breed healthy Bulldogs without introducing genetic diversity from another breed. Many airlines now ban Bulldogs, citing concerns about the safety of transporting the dogs, which are uniquely prone to respiratory problems.
Unfortunately, Zsa Zsa's unique look made life more difficult for her, says Dr. Stacey Anstaett, a Colorado-based veterinarian. "Zsa Zsa's trademark features are due in large part to poor breeding practices," she explains. "When dogs are bred without consideration for the health and comfort of the offspring, and the only consideration is profit, dogs suffer unnecessarily. Zsa Zsa was so fortunate to have been rescued by a dedicated owner who helped make her life as comfortable as possible."