Dog parent was crushed when someone called their pup 'horrifyingly ugly' — then a fellow pet parent gave them the ultimate comeback

The owner revealed that the five-word insult came up during a casual chat with a guy.

PUBLISHED 5 HOURS AGO

(L) Young man laying on the bed with his dog, (R) Doubting, dissatisfied man looking at others. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L)svetikd, (R) fizkes)

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. But turns out, human beauty standards have seeped into the dog world, labeling some breeds as superior to others based on visual appeal. A dog parent, under the username u/clownin-since_1999 on Reddit, was disturbed by a cruel remark about their pet dog and turned to the internet for a comeback. People took note of the commenter’s sheer ignorance and flooded the post with befitting replies for the dog owner to get back at him.

A sad pet owner sitting on the floor next to her dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Sjale)

“Your dog is horrifyingly ugly,” the post title revealed. The dog owner begged for an “urgent comeback” from fellow pet lovers to teach the culprit a lesson. They revealed that the five-word insult came up during a casual chat with a guy. “A guy I was chatting with said that to me about my dog, and I need a good comeback,” the Reddit post said. The internet was not impressed by the awful remark on a pup’s appearance and hit back with brutal reactions. A fellow pet owner offered the ultimate comeback with a simple sentence. “Yeah, my dog is still beautiful in comparison, though,” wrote u/HullSimplibus.

A woman hugging her dog. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Caia Image)

However, this was just one of many sharp retorts sent the dog owner's way. “If you think he’s ugly, you should have seen the baby he ate earlier,” mocked u/Hendosim while u/Supersaiajinblue said, “One thing you both have in common." The Reddit user responded to a few comments, sharing additional context about the conversation. “I was shocked to say the least… best part is: he thought he was flirting when he said that,” they revealed. The guy even went on to call the pup a “monster” as a joke, despite being asked to stop. “At least my dog gets attention; you don't even get any,” quipped a deleted user.

A pug is out on a walk. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Matheus Bertelli)

As the saying goes, ‘beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.’ It is no surprise that beauty is subjective and varies from person to person. Yet humans have created conventional beauty standards, even for dogs, that have inspired popular events like the World’s Ugliest Dog Contest. Last month, the 2025 version of the contest crowned a 2-year-old pup named Petunia as the world’s ugliest dog in California. The competition invites unique dogs from across the country to compete for the ultimate title and a cash prize.

Different dog breeds together in a park. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images meaghan browning) — Different dog breeds together in a park. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | meaghan browning)

As interesting as it may sound, beauty standards in dogs influence adoption and rescue operations, as potential pet owners only go for breeds that are perceived as “beautiful.” However, the official site of the contest states that it “celebrates” the imperfections in dogs that make them special. “The annual World’s Ugliest Dog Contest is not about making fun of ‘ugly’ dogs, but having fun with some wonderful characters and showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful!” According to a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, such human practices based on an animal’s external beauty pose serious threats to biodiversity.