Wisconsin pug 'Wrecking Ball' costume could snag owner $25,000

Eric Koeppel |

What do polyester fiber, a naked Barbie doll and an adorable pug have in common? This stellar costume!
What do polyester fiber, a naked Barbie doll and an adorable pug have in common?
This stellar costume!

 Look out Willem Dafoe, Gene Wilder and Steve Miller: there’s been a new addition to the list of famous Wisconsinites, and she’s cuter than you’ll ever be! I’m talking of course about Tottie, the Madison-based pug whose costume, which was inspired by Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" video, has become a viral success.

Pug-owner (and former Eau Clairian) McKenna Ihde entered her lovable pup into Petco’s “Make a Scene Photo Contest” no less than a week ago. The competition offers a Grand Prize of $25,000 and a one-year-supply of Old Mother Hubbard pet treats. Tottie currently has over 2,750 votes and counting, and although the Grand Prize winner will be chosen by a panel based on things like originality and composition, “overall impact” is also taken into consideration, so every vote helps.

But the votes aren’t the only thing our little wrecking ball has going for her. Tottie’s pictures have been gaining popularity since Saturday; so far she’s been featured on BuzzFeed, E! News, and Channel 3000 in Madison to name a few.

But the pug’s biggest break of all will happen tomorrow Oct. 25 at 7 a.m. on ABC. That’s right, Ihde and Tottie are being flown out to New York City for an appearance on Good Morning America.

Interested in owning your own cuddly little wrecking ball? You can find a step-by-step guide on how to make the costume on Ihde’s cousin Karin Morrison’s blog  here.

Voting ends on Sunday Oct. 27, but you can vote for Tottie once a day until then. Log into Facebook and go here  to vote.