A mixed-breed, hunchback dog with a pit bull background has been crowned the ugliest dog in the world, beating 26 other contestants in the annual pageant in California.
The dog, named Quasi Modo after the Hunchback of Notre Dame character, is 10 years old and suffers from a short spine. The owner won $1,500 in prize money, and the dog is now set to embark on a U.S. media tour.
Of course, while the dog has been given the title of the ugliest dog, that doesn't accurately reflect the dog's personality, which won the hearts of the judges. In fact, the title is based on first impressions, unusual attributes, natural ugliness, personality, and audience impression.
Quasi Modo was adopted by Virginia Sayre and her husband Mike Carroll nine years ago from Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. Sayre herself is a veterinarian, and says that the dog gets along with everybody.
"People who love dogs get her, but I've had grown men jump on top of a truck to get away from her. They don't know what to make of her," said Sayre.
Second place was taken by Sweepee Rambo, a Chinese crested Chihuahua, who is known for having freckled skin and a blond mohawk. Next up was Frodo, another Chinese crested Chihuahua that is hairless and, according to its owners, enjoys being bossy.
While Quasi Modo was born with multiple spine defects, this doesn't stop her from enjoying life as much as possible.
"I have multiple birth defects to my spine. My back is too short for the rest of my body and the parts went together in the worst possible way," says her official pageant bio. "In spite of this I still run, play and enjoy life to the fullest."
In fact, Quasi Modo's appearance has caused adults to mistake her for a hyena or Tasmanian devil, with some jumping on top of their cars to avoid her.
This isn't the first time that Quasi Modo has made an appearance in the competition, with her owners having taken her to make her debut in 2014, which took place during their honeymoon.
Another award that was given out at the competition was the Spirit Award, which was given to Precious, a Chihuahua from Petaluma who visits disabled veterans. Precious has problems with sight because the vet put the wrong eye drops in her eyes when she was born.
