Brits are being invited to send in “butt ugly” pictures of their dogs in a search for the UK’s ugliest pet. Dog owners could win their ‘unfortunate pet’ a makeover with a before and after photoshoot.

While competition organisers claim “every dog is beautiful in the eyes of their owners”, they want to celebrate pets who are visually challenging – and have joked owners of pretty dogs need not apply.

A spokesman from the photography company ParrotPrint.com, who is running the competition, said: “Britain is a nation of dog lovers but there are some pets out there with a face only a mother could love.

“There are some awful-looking dogs out there but we wanted to give all of them the chance to shine. “If you think your dog is butt ugly then we want to hear from you. The winning mutt will be treated to a professional grooming and a before and after photo session.

“Let’s see if we can transform an ugly dog into a beautiful pooch and brighten up its owner’s life at the same time.” The company wanted to put its spin on the many TV shows where humans receive an on-screen makeover – but decided to make dogs their focus.

He added: “There are plenty of cute doggies out there across the UK but we don’t want to hear from them. This is a competition for only the ugliest dogs in the land. I am talking about the dogs you’d cross the street to avoid. The mutts who look so ugly their owners feel they have to apologise for owning them,”