Pug named Vito makes history winning Best in Show at National Dog Show 2024: ‘Everybody loves him’
NY Post
He’s the new top dog.
Vito, a competition-squishing stud-muffin pug from North Carolina, took home the Best in Show title at the 23rd annual National Dog Show, which aired on Thanksgiving, making history as the first pug to do so.
The 2-year-old Vito sashayed away with the top title, beating out as many as 2,000 other pups at the beloved annual event hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and presented by Purina.
Not only did Vito win the whole kit and caboodle, but he was also ranked as the No. 2 toy dog in America and the No. 1 ranked pug in all systems.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years and this is my first Best in Show at the National Dog Show in Philadelphia. Just thrilled to be on that Thanksgiving Day broadcast,” his owner, Carolyn Koch of Chapel Hill, told The Post.
The 18-pound little bruiser, who is “happiest when he’s with his humans” but “loves the attention,” drew plenty of cheers from the audience at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center as his handler, Michael Scott, paraded him around on Nov. 16 and 17.
