Scamp the Tramp will never win a beauty contest. But hesa国际传媒檚 won an ugly one.
The bug-eyed, dreadlocked pooch took top honours Friday night at the 31st annual Worldsa国际传媒檚 Ugliest Dog Contest.
Owner Yvonne Morones of Santa Rosa, California, won an appearance with Scamp on the sa国际传媒淭odaysa国际传媒� show, $1,500 in cash, another $1,500 to donate to an animal shelter sa国际传媒� and a trophy the size of a Rottweiler.
sa国际传媒淗esa国际传媒檚 Scamp the Champ, no longer Scamp the Tramp,sa国际传媒� Morones told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat after the victory. sa国际传媒淚 think the audience saw his beautiful spirit and everything hesa国际传媒檚 given back to the community.sa国际传媒�
Scamp makes volunteer visits to schoolchildren and a local senior citizens centre.
The street dog from Compton was rescued by Morones in 2014 after she spotted him on Pet Finder.
sa国际传媒淚t was on the way home that I knew I made the right choice,sa国际传媒� she said in a contest press statement. sa国际传媒淭here we were, two strangers in a car on the way home to a new start. Bob Marley was playing sa国际传媒極ne Lovesa国际传媒� and I looked over and little Scamp was bobbing his head. It was like he knew he had found his forever home.sa国际传媒�
Scamp beat out 18 other contestants who showed off their droopy tongues, bowed legs, perpetually confused looks and other strange attributes.
The contestants got to walk the red carpet and preen for adoring fans at Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in the heart of Northern California wine country.
The competition, as they say, was fierce.
Second place went to Wild Thang, a Pekinese with beady eyes and a disturbing tongue, owned by Ann Lewis of Los Angeles.
Third place went to Tostito, a Chihuahua whose damaged ears and droopy tongue make him look like he just stuck his foot into an electrical socket. Tostito, owned by Molly Horgan of Falmouth, Maine, also won the Spirit Award.
This yearsa国际传媒檚 Peoplesa国际传媒檚 Choice Award went to Meatloaf, a bulldog mix with protruding teeth owned by Denae Pruner of Sacramento, California.
Everyone knows ugliness is in the eye of the beholder and, to a dog lover, there is no such thing as an uncomely canine. Weird-looking, maybe. Appearance-challenged, perhaps. Or, as owners of ugly dogs like to say, sa国际传媒渦nique.sa国际传媒�
Like Willie Wonka, a sweet-natured pit bull abandoned after he was discovered to have a genetic malady that left his legs so bowed he could barely walk.
With a chuckle, publicist Christy Gentry said the competition wasnsa国际传媒檛 just about being ugly.
sa国际传媒淛udges are looking for special attributes like hanging tongues, slobber, drool (the more the better). Maybe unusual patches of skin or hair,sa国际传媒� she explained.
Last yearsa国际传媒檚 champion, an English bulldog named Zsa Zsa, with a tongue that hung nearly to the ground, endeared herself to the judges when she sneezed and drooled all over them.
Soon she was headed to New York for national TV appearances. Sadly, Zsa Zsa died about a year ago at age 9.
Another previous winner, Nana, made the cover of an album by the Grateful Dead spinoff band Ratdog.
Organizers say the contest isnsa国际传媒檛 just skin-deep. Itsa国际传媒檚 also about bringing attention to the needs of rescue dogs.
Most competitors were previously abandoned or rescued from kill shelters in the U.S., found abandoned on streets or seized from unscrupulous breeders.
sa国际传媒淲hat wesa国际传媒檙e really doing is wesa国际传媒檙e showcasing dogs that have been rescued and adopted and brought into loving homes,sa国际传媒� Gentry said. sa国际传媒淭hese are sort of spokesdogs for adoption.sa国际传媒�
John Rogers, The Associated Press
