Virgin Atlantic Cargo flies victor to 'ugliest dog in the world' contest

VIRGIN Atlantic Cargo says another four-legged celebrity, an 8-year-old Chinese Crested rescue dog from Peterborough, England, has been given the full star treatment on a flight to California, where Mugly was competing for the title of "The Ugliest Dog in the World".

Ugly Mugly was flying out to compete against 29 other rivals looking to claim the prize at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma. This year's show marked the 24th year of the annual contest and "when it came to choosing the ugliest in show everyone agreed that Mugly was clearly top dog", a statement from the carrier said.

It said that winning the title has catapulted Mugly onto the world stage with features lined up in national newspapers in the UK, morning TV appearances and his own Channel 5 television documentary called "Mutt Ugly: the world's ugliest dog!" It adds that there's even talk of a book deal. Pet lovers can follow Mugly's career on his own website at www.uglymugly.co.uk

Proud owner Bev Nicholson was quick to thank the airline for giving Mugly his flight to victory. She said: "We really appreciated the hands on care and attention he was given and he was certainly on top form when he arrived in the US. We thought he'd be the underdog against so many American pets but he did us proud!"