Deformed mutt named Quasi Modo is crowned World's Ugliest Dog; she wins $1,500 for owner

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. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (The Associated Press)

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PETALUMA, Calif. – A 10-year-old mutt named Quasi Modo, whose spinal birth defects left her a bit hunchbacked, is the winner of the World's Ugliest Dog contest.

The pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix and her Florida owner took the $1,500 prize Friday night, besting 25 other dogs, organizers said.

And though the name might make you think of the Quasimodo character in the Victor Hugo tale, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," this dog is female, not male.

Karen Spencer, marketing director for the Sonoma-Marin Fair, says 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.

Two Chinese crested and Chihuahua mixes, Sweepee Rambo and Frodo, took the second- and third-place prizes, respectively.

The contest, held in Petaluma, California, is in its 27th year.