An adorable pug won best in show at the 92nd annual64 on Thursday.
Vito the pug appeared to be full of glee the moment he was named the winner and as he was lead in front of the other contestants to receive the honor, per NBC. It was the first time in approximately two decades a pug won best in show at the event.
He is the number one pug in all show systems and the number two toy dog in America, the outlet said on Thursday.
“He claimed best of breed at this year’s Westminster Dog Show in New York City and best of breed at the AKC National Show last year,” the report said.
During an interview following the win, Vito’s handler said he was special because “he’s got a beautiful head and expression” adding he is a “compact dog” who was “very smug” over his accomplishment.
An image shows Vito standing next to a huge trophy:
Pug named Vito makes history winning Best in Show at National Dog Show 2024: ‘Everybody loves him’ https://t.co/JomozLfXBV pic.twitter.com/QUuzFOPPYD
— New York Post (@nypost) November 28, 2024
The two-and-a-half-year-old dog from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, now has 25 best-in-shows.
According to NPR:
Vito beat out six other finalists for best in show at the annual canine event, hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and broadcast by NBC on Thanksgiving Day, including a clumber spaniel named Houston from the sporting group, The Zit, an Ibizan hound from the hound group, a Berger Picard named Rupert from the herding group, a giant schnauzer named Monty from the working group, and JJ, a Lhasa apso from the non-sporting group. Verde, a rust and black colored Welsh terrier from the terrier group captured the second place prize, known as Reserve Best in Show.
The American Kennel Club’s (AKC) website describes the pug as charming, loving, and mischievous.
“The Pug, often called the Pug Dog, is an ancient breed that can be traced back some 2,000 years. The emperors of ancient China had a preference for flat-faced toy dogs’ the Pekingese, Shih Tzu, and Pug were all developed as refined pets of the emperor, his family, and members of the imperial court,” the site reads.
“Like many breeds favored by Far Eastern potentates of the ancient world, Pugs were a closely held treasure that outsiders could acquire only as a gift,” it stated.