Quasi Modo wins top honors in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Friday, June 26, 2015, in Petaluma, Calif. Quasi Modo's owners, who travelled from Florida to compete, will receive $1500.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger
June 27, 2015 - 2:25 PM
PETALUMA, Calif. - A 10-year-old mutt named Quasi Modo, whose spinal birth defects left her a bit hunchbacked, is the winner of this year's World's Ugliest Dog contest.
The pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix and her owner took the $1,500 prize Friday night, besting 25 other dogs competing in the contest that applauds imperfection, organizers said.
Quasi Modo was abandoned at an animal shelter before being adopted by a veterinarian in Loxahatchee, Florida, according to her biography posted on the contest's website.
"My appearance can be a little unsettling to some (I have had grown men jump on top of their cars to get away from me because they thought I was a hyena or Tasmanian devil) but once they get to know me I win them over with my bubbly personality," her biography said.
Two Chinese crested and Chihuahua mixes named Sweepee Rambo and Frodo took the second- and third-place prizes, respectively.
An 8-year-old Chihuahua named Precious received the "spirit award," honouring a dog and owner who have overcome obstacles and/or are providing service to the community. Precious, who is blind in one eye, is trained to monitor smells related to low blood sugar levels and alert her owner, a disabled veteran, of the problem, her biography said.
The contest, held at the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma, California, is in its 27th year.
The dogs are scored by a three-judge panel in several categories, including special or unusual attributes, personality and natural ugliness.
Karen Spencer, marketing director for the Sonoma-Marin Fair, said she was notified Friday night by Quasi Modo's owner that the world's newly crowned ugliest dog is a she, and not a he.
Sweepee Rambo, a 16-year-old Chinese Crested dog, competes in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, Friday, June 26, 2015, in Petaluma, Calif. She won the runner-up award.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger
Pork, a 13-year-old Chihuahua, gets some unwanted attention from a rival in the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair on Friday, June 26, 2015, in Petaluma, Calif.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger
News from © The Associated Press, 2015