A pug named Vito has taken home first prize in the annual National Dog Show.
Vito walked away with the title of “Best In Show”, along with a $20,000 prize, in the event run by the American Kennel Club (AKC) on Thanksgiving Day. His win came after he came in first place in a competition for the “Toy Group.”
Vito is owned by Carolyn Koch, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and his handler at the competition was Michael Scott, from Chesapeake City, Maryland. Throughout the event, Scott said he had a feeling Vito would take home the winning title.
“I was optimistic,” he said in a statement. “I always hope to get a really good look [from the judge]. ... Vito has a beautiful head and expression. Great outline.”
Koch also expressed her excitement about the two-year-old dog’s winning, adding: “I’m so proud of him.”
Vito is a longtime dog show competitor, as he previously claimed the award for Best of Breed at the 2024 Westminster Dog Show in New York City.
He was titled the Best of Breed at the 2023 AKC National Show. He’s also the number one ranked pug in all show systems, and the number two toy dog in all of America. He’s competed in more than 75 dog shows and now, he’s won his 25th Best in Show title.
Vito the fabulous pug wins the Toy Group at the National Dog Show. ✨
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) November 28, 2024
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/7lGkiZh0eB
Before Vito took home the gold on Thursday, he competed against six other dogs who won the “First In Group.”
Each of those dogs initially came from one of seven groups, “representing characteristics and functions the breeds were originally bred for,” as noted by AKC. The seven groups in the competition were terrier, toy, sporting, working, hound, non-sporting, and herding.
Aside from adorable dogs, the event featured some famous faces. The dog show, which took place in Philadephia, was hosted by Seinfeld star John O’Hurley, Mary Carillo, and David Frei, who’s been co-hosting the National Dog Show on NBC since 2002. Per usual, the event was televised directly after the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Last year, Stache the Sealyham terrier won the dog show. In 2022, Winston the French Bulldog, was the first of his breed to take first place in the show.
According to NBC, a Wire Fox Terrier won for two straight years in 2011 and 2012. Meanwhile, a Scottish Deerhound named Claire came out victorious in both 2020 and 2021.
