June 27, 2015
ODN/YouTube
Quasi Modo, a pit bull-Dutch shepherd mix born with spinal defects, "epitomized excellence in ugliness," according to a panel of judges.
It may not be the most coveted distinction out there, but a 10-year-old Florida mutt named Quasi Modo has been named The World's Ugliest Dog after participating in an annual contest held in Petaluma, California.
Quasi Modo, who is a pit-bull-Dutch shepherd mix, was born with spinal defects that resulted in a hunchback judges deemed hideous enough to beat out 25 other dogs for the $1,500 first prize on Friday night. Supporting this victory is an initial Associated Press story that erroneously identified the dog as a male instead of a female, Yahoo News reports.
Abandoned at an animal shelter, Quasi Modo was adopted by a veterinarian in Loxahatchee, Florida, who entered her into the 27th contest at the Sonoma-Marins Fairgrounds . Her biography includes the following:
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.
A three-judge panel selected Modo because she "epitomized excellence in ugliness," according to the contest's website. The panel evaluated the dogs based on special and unusual attributes, personality and natural ugliness. A pair of Chinese crested and chihuahua mixes took second and third place.
While Quasi Modo won't be headed to the Westminster Dog Show anytime soon, she will be going to San Francisco and New York for a makeover and an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
