Vito the pug has been crowned best in show at the 92nd annual National Dog Show – the first time a pug has won the title in at least two decades.
A 2.5-year-old pug with sympathetic eyes and a muscly stature, Vito bested about 2,000 other canines to take the title at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center for this year’s show, which aired on NBC Thursday.
Vito has racked up 25 best-in-shows over his short career, his co-owner Carolyn Koch, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina told NBC, adding that she was “so proud” of the pug.
Vito beat a Welsh terrier, a giant schnauzer, a Clumber spaniel, a Lhasa apso, a Berger Picard and an Ibizan hound to earn the top spot. Second place went to the Welsh terrier, named Verde.
Any American Kennel Club-registered dog can enter the show. Judges assess the competitors based on their appearance, temperament and structure, with a focus on how well they conform to the expectations of their breed.
The owners of the winning animal take home a $2,000 prize.
Last year’s winner was a cream-colored Sealyham terrier called Stache.