Remembering Mr. Happy Face, A Grassroots Festival Favorite

A person in a mask and turquoise jewelry holds Mr. Happy Face, a hairless dog with a mohawk, at an outdoor festival.
Mr. Happy Face, a Chinese Crested dog known for winning the World's Ugliest Dog contest, is held by an attendee at a grassroots festival.

Mr. Happy Face has died at the age of 19.

In 2022, the Chihuahua mix was the winner of the World’s Ugliest Dog contest.

The dog and his owner, Jeneda Benally, won a trip to New York City to appear on the NBC “Today” show. The California contests promotes the adoption of dogs.

Jeneda is a multi-award winning musician from the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. Jeneda and her family are favorites every summer at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg.

Photos by Greg Cotterill, Finger Lakes Daily News.

 

Mr. Happy Face has made the trip and was a favorite in Tompkins County for the past couple of years.

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