June 20, 2014: Quasi Modo, an eight-year-old mixed breed from Florida, walks across the stage during the World's Ugliest Dog Contest, at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, Calif. (AP)
Quasi Modo, a 10-year-old mutt whose spinal birth defects left him with a hunchback, is the winner of this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog Contest Friday night.
The pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix and his owner took the $1,500 prize, besting 25 other dogs competing in the contest that applauds imperfection, organizers said.
Before becoming a champion, Quasi Modo was abandoned at an animal shelter before being adopted by a veterinarian in Loxahatchee, Florida, according to the dog’s 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," his biography said.
Two Chinese crested Chihuahua mixed named Sweepee Rambo and Frodo took second and third place in the contest.
An 8-year-old Chihuahua named Precious received the "spirit award," honoring 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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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