- A 7-year-old bald pooch with backward-facing legs has been crowned the "World's Ugliest Dog."
- Scooter, a Chinese crested dog, was nearly euthanized after he was born with a deformity.
A bald Chinese crested pooch with backward-facing legs has been crowned the "World's Ugliest Dog" nearly a decade after he was saved from certain death.
7-year-old Scooter won top honors at the annual ugly dog contest held at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma, California, Friday, much to the joy of his owner Linda Celeste Elmquist, the "Today" show reports. Scooter – whose pink tongue often hangs haphazardly out of his mouth – was adopted by Elmquist seven months ago after his previous owner could no longer care for the pup, per the outlet.
His rise to fame comes after Scooter faced the prospect of euthanasia. Born with a deformity that has left his two hind legs facing backward, a breeder brought Scooter in to be euthanized in Tucson, Arizona, according to "Today." Luckily, the Saving Animals From Euthanasia (SAFE) rescue group, which Elmquist is a part of, intervened to save his life.
According to his bio on the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds website, there were initially doubts that Scooter would ever be able to crawl or walk freely by himself. But he soon proved skeptics wrong by improvising and using the strength of his front legs to propel himself forward, albeit with a wobble.
Elmquist told "Today" that Scooter simply sits back on his backward-facing legs whenever he gets tired, which he uses like a tripod.
But years of relying on his front legs means Scooter now requires some help to get around. As outlined in his bio, Scooter uses a wheeled cart to literally scoot from place to place, bought for him with funds donated by friends and rescue groups.
Deformity aside, Elmquist said that the "World's Ugliest Dog" winner is much like any other pooch, except for an extreme liking for Braunschweiger sausage.
Scooter is the latest victor of the quirky competition that's been running for 50 years. According to the website, the event seeks to celebrate the "imperfections that make all dogs special and unique." Contestants are often from rescue shelters and puppy mills.
Last year's champion, a 17-year-old Chinese crested Chihuahua called Mr. Happy Face, was also adopted after he was saved from a hoarder's house and ended up at a shelter in Arizona.
Representatives for the "World's Ugliest Dog" contest did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.