DES MOINES, Iowa — In front of a crowd of about 300 people, Myrtle Mae, once a foster dog, won the crown of the 2021 Most Beautiful Bulldog Contest at Drake University on Sunday afternoon.
Myrtle is owned by 2003 Drake Law graduate Whitney Bogdanski, who fostered her in 2020. The family fell in love with her immediately and knew she needed to be a permanent part of the family.
“She wanted to be loved and it was so easy to love her,” Bogdanski said. “We gave her a lot of love and she opened up.”
20 English bulldogs were judged in the contest on Sunday to kick off the full week of Drake Relays festivities.
Attendees and live stream viewers voted on their favorite for the Porterhouse People’s Choice award and the clear winner was Samson Jameson Bronson.
In 2020, the 41st contest was held virtually for the first time in contest history. Fans voted on Facebook polls to decide the winner, Hulk from Jewell, Iowa.