They say a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s but is that any reason to actually kiss your canine, even if it’s on Valentine’s Day? The answer is “YES”, at least according to participants at a dog kissing contest in Portland, Maine.

The 9th Annual Valentine’s Day Dog Kissing Contest took place yesterday, at the Planet Dog Company Store in Portland, and yes, there was a lot of face licking going on. The rules of the adorable/disgusting competition are pretty simple. Owners let their canine pets lick their faces – yes, that includes their lips – and the longest cross-species kiss is declared the winner. The big prize for first place? A $75 gift certificate to the Planet Dog store. So it’s safe to say people who enter the dog kissing contest don’t do it for the money, considering everyone actually has to pay a $5 entrance fee. It’s probably just a great opportunity to show off their dog’s affection or maybe it’s to be part of a charity event (all the proceeds go to the Planet Dog Foundation). If you’re easily grossed out about mouth-to-snout smooching, I recommend you don’t watch the video at the bottom.

Photo: Bangor Daily News

This year’s winners of the Dog Kissing Contest were beau, a 12-year-old Yorkie and dachshund mix, and his owner, Linda Walton. Their very wet kiss lasted 45.8 seconds, which was a few seconds shorter of the nearly full minute smooch that won him first prize last year, but it was enough to lick the competition. Second place went to Sunny, a Staffordshire terrier, and owner Casey Mountain, with a 16.8 second kiss, while Django and owner Erik Boucher came in third with 11.7 seconds.

While most doctors agree there’s not much danger in letting your dog give you a big long kiss, it’s always good to remember an animal’s mouth can host a lot of bacteria, and if you’re not cleaning your pets’ mouths regularly, it’s best not to get too kissy-kissy with them.

Source: Bangor Daily News