Minnesota Dog Dies Just Weeks After Winning World's Ugliest Dog Title

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Zsa Zsa, the floppy-tongued bulldog from Minnesota who won the World's Ugliest Dog contest just last month, has reportedly died.

Megan Brainard, Zsa Zsa's owner, told TODAY that the dog was found dead by a relative early Tuesday morning. She said the 9-year-old English bulldog's death has been "devastating."

Brainard, who lives in Anoka, told TODAY that she held a small farewell ceremony for Zsa Zsa with her husband and their 15-month-old daughter, Mareslie.

"I picked Zsa Zsa up and took her outside and laid her down in the grass," she said. "We were all saying our goodbyes and Mareslie went right over and gave her a kiss. It was sweet."

Just last month, Zsa Zsa won the 30th annual World's Ugliest Dog contest in the San Francisco Bay area. Her family took home $1,500.

"She knew she was special," Brainard told TODAY. "She never really showed much excitement but yes, she was definitely living it up after she won."

Brainard found Zsa Zsa on a pet-finding website.